Senate president Sharon Wilson addresses the media last night as votes came in from the different polling stations.Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff
By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
MEMBERS and supporters of YES Bahamas last night painfully exclaimed “wow” and “my God” as they witnessed what appeared to be the overwhelming defeat of their campaign in support of the government’s referendum on gender equality.
At a special gathering at Charlotte House in anticipation of a favourable outcome to the referendum last night, a number of sombre YES Bahamas supporters looked on as the unofficial results from the various polling divisions leaned overwhelmingly towards a “no” vote on all four questions, spelling a certain defeat for their campaign.
The Parliamentary Registration Department did not release the final results, but Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall said last night it appeared that all four questions had been “overwhelmingly” rejected.
Senate President and YES Bahamas co-chair Lady Sharon Wilson said while the campaign “looked forward to favourable results,” the group realised “that this is a democratic process and we must accept the results when the people speak.”
She added: “At the end of it I think there was just a lot of injection, some of it that was unexpected, of information that sought to contradict what we saw to be the truths of the campaign, and perhaps I would say introduced an element of confusion in the end.
“But at the end of the day I believe the Bahamian people would sit back, be sober, and their decision will prevail.
“There’s no doubt at the end of the day you know there are persons who will hold on to what they see as the politics of any situation, and I don’t think that can be discounted in this matter. I think it did have some role (to play).
“We heard the repeated reference to what happened in 2002 and we heard also that there were politicians who just simply refused to reveal or support what they previously revealed,” she said, referring to the failed constitutional referendum 14 years ago.
“And so I think there was political confusion as well, and perhaps it didn’t all go well to the overall campaign.”
Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson shared the same sentiments, adding that she was “disappointed” that “such important questions were not successful”. She attributed the defeat to the “sowing of seeds of discord and misinformation” about the various tenets of the four bills.
“So what was happening is that people were focusing on what was not on the bills rather than what was in the bills,” Mrs Maynard-Gibson added. “And the nature of any election is that you actually vote for or against what’s on the ballot, not what’s not on the ballot. And certainly I think that we have to acknowledge as well, or at least note as well, there was some concern about the difference in terms of the outcome of the (2013) gaming referendum and this one.”
She added: “I think that there was a good deal of misinformation that probably did contribute to what I would call confusion and people focusing on what was not on the bills, and that is disappointing. But even though that is disappointing, I still celebrate the fact that we are able in our country to hold constitutional referenda and for us to focus on issues that are important to our next generation.”
Sir Franklyn Wilson, well-known Bahamian businessman and husband of Lady Wilson, said the results suggested that the public “essentially bought into the slogan ‘no, no, no, and hell no.’”
“It appears as though not as much consideration of individual questions took place,” he added. “At the end of the day, despite a valiant effort by the YES (Bahamas) campaign, there was just tremendous, tremendous confusion, and I think people’s attitude is ‘I don’t understand, vote no’.”
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 5 months ago
Five million plus dollars ($5,000,000+) of our hard earned taxpayer dollars flushed down the toilet by the corrupt Christie-led PLP government on their misguided and rightfully failed attempt to buy votes in exchange for Bahamian citizenship and/or pandering to the agenda of the global LGBT movement! The horridly dilapidated public school I voted at sure could have used that money for desperately needed renovations and repair work. My wife actually had tears come to her eyes when she realized that all of the school's water fountains and water coolers were non-functioning and that the restrooms were in a dreadful state, not fit for human use by any standard. Yet the corrupt Christie-led PLP government would have us believe that they care about the rights of men and women (and those somewhere between men and women) being equal. Well, what about the rights of our young children who have to attend these deplorable public schools that are not fit for most animals, let alone humans?! Small wonder our children are receiving a D minus education....it is almost impossible for even the brightest amongst our young to learn anything under such horrid conditions. And no doubt the teachers at these unkept schools are from the bottom of the barrel....who else would subject themselves to working under such squalid conditions. But elitist Christie and his privileged political friends and business cronies (like Sharon Wilson and her husband, Sir Snake) certainly don't give two hoots about the welfare of our young children and the quality of their education .....they only care about themselves....and bills 1 thru 4 were only ever about themselves in terms of their hidden agenda. Thank heavens the vast majority of Bahamians were not fooled and overwhelmingly voted "No" to all four of the bills. Christie and his merry band of bandits are corrupt, power hungry, financially greedy and completely lacking in heart or soul. I truly feel for the very young in our country today, especially the 500+ recent COB graduates.
Reality_Check 8 years, 5 months ago
Sir Snake throws the occasional bone to COB as part of his publicity/branding needs....and he still serves as a loud mouth piece for organizations like JA.....but on the whole he is a bullying scoundrel who peddles political influence in an extortionist way to gain a most unfair advantage over others in his unscrupulous business dealings aimed at unjustly enriching his family's greedy pockets! Snake and others like Allyson Maynard-Gibson have a lot in common when it comes to their underhandedness.
Regardless 8 years, 5 months ago
.......b_ _ _ _h, take that!!
jackbnimble 8 years, 5 months ago
ROFL!!
licks2 8 years, 5 months ago
Right to the point. . .WAP!!
Victor 8 years, 5 months ago
The PLP in 2002 came up with the slogan, "If you don't know, vote 'No'." Now it bit them in the rear and they are crying. Had they supported this issue in 2002, we wouldn't be in this position now.
birdiestrachan 8 years, 5 months ago
I voted yes to one and no to three of the bills. I was going to vote Yes to Number one, But the wording was different from the copie I had been given before.. I was infulenced by no one I read and understood what the bills were all about.
SP 8 years, 5 months ago
... Lady Sharon Wilson, Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson & Sir Franklyn Wilson ...
The so called "elites" are eons, miles and galaxies so far OUT OF TOUCH with the mass's that they can't even win with all the cards stacked in their favor, cheating and throwing millions into a one sided well funded deceptive campaign!
This proves without question "money and status" is only relevant to those that HAVE money and status.
The "haves" are the greater minority while the "have nots" are the overwhelmingly greater majority.
How in the hell could the "haves" from the friends, family and lovers grouping expect to mysteriously step out of the shadows with an agenda that benefits them and expect the "have nots" to agree or minutely care?
Great disparity in wealth and status had lots to do with the NO vote, as the "have nots" have absolutely every reason imaginable not to trust the friends, family and lovers grouping of "haves"who also lost what little respect they had by insulting the intelligence of "have nots" for not sharing their views!
Respect and trust must be EARNED, and has no relevance to how much money one has or who's parties and associations one are "privileged" to keep.
The "haves" should have learned a good lesson after a sound cut ass yesterday. However, the world these people live in prevent them seeing any symbol of truth, as the truth and honesty is not in them to begin with.
arenas 8 years, 5 months ago
Yes, they truly have mastered the art of deceit, especially where it concerns the people's land.
SP 8 years, 5 months ago
............... They called us Ignorant, Stupid, Homophobic, Dumb and Xenophobic ................
We called them Liars, Deceivers, Pirates and now LOSERS!
sheeprunner12 8 years, 5 months ago
Typical black colonial elitists ....... they are more British than the Queen
cmiller 8 years, 5 months ago
The USA have all these rights as law in their country, and there is still rampant inequality for blacks, women, and minorities. People think when these laws are passed that inequality will just disappear. And pigs will fly.......
sheeprunner12 8 years, 5 months ago
Agreed .......... black Americans have it far worst than black Bahamians
sheeprunner12 8 years, 5 months ago
What must be made very clear now is that Perry must come clean on HOW MUCH of our money was frittered away on YES Bahamas and RUBY & Co. dem over that past year trying to hoodwink Bahamians .............. and still more than 60% of Bahamians did not buy their swill
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