By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Attorney General Alfred Sears has called for the establishment of an “Integrity Commission to investigate the conduct of members of Parliament, senators, and senior public officials” and for term limits for prime ministers.
His proposals for modernising the Bahamas were outlined in an opinion piece sent to The Tribune.
Mr Sears, chairman of the College of the Bahamas’ Council, has long been seen by some as a potential prime minister. He was recently ratified as the PLP’s candidate for Ft Charlotte, his former constituency.
The proposals he outlined yesterday often diverged significantly from the PLP’s current platform.
For instance, he called for the creation of an Office of the Contractor General to oversee the contract procurement process and for the removal of the Department of Public Prosecutions from the portfolio of the attorney general.
His ideas pushed for transparency in government, underscored by the call for the establishment of an Integrity Commission to investigate public officials.
He called for the creation of an independent Electoral Boundaries Commission and for the establishment of an Office of the Ombudsman to address public complaints.
He said a minister of information should be appointed to brief the media after Cabinet meetings to “increase transparency of Cabinet affairs.”
He called for Crown land to be removed from the portfolio of the prime minister and placed under Cabinet supervision along with the creation of a Ministry of Crown Land and Natural Resources.
He said an Office of the Contractor General should be established, giving it constitutional independence to deal with “all procurements over $50,000 by all branches of government in order to eliminate actual and perceived corruption in the public sector.”
He called for a limit on the number of members of Parliament who could serve in Cabinet at one point and for the removal of the prime minister’s power to recommend the appointment of the chief justice and justices of appeal.
As for the Privy Council, he called for the country to abandon the London court “and accept both the original and appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final appellate court...”
Mr Sears said the British monarchy should be removed as this country’s head of state and the Bahamas should be established as a republic, “with a Bahamian-born president as head of state.”
He also called for the expansion of the school year to improve “national academic performance, conflict resolution, civic education, cultural studies and athletic programmes to increase the competitiveness of the Bahamas, better socialise our students and provide structured supervision for students until parents retire from work.”
The full text of Mr Sears’ op-ed will be published in Monday’s Tribune.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 6 months ago
The thrust of this article is Sears calls for this and Sears calls for that.....all seemingly good and all aimed at corrupt politicians, but note how he does not call for anything aimed at stamping out the racketeering criminal activities of his close buddies, the numbers' bosses. Sears is in so tight with Craig Flowers and Sebas Bastian that he has lost all sense of right and wrong. The Bahamian public will never forget how instrumental he was in orchestrating the "legalization" of the vast network of criminal activities of the gaming web shops in defiance of the outcome of a duly held national referendum. When Sears was Attorney General he should have been upholding the laws of our land by shutting down the gaming web shops and prosecuting the likes of Craig Flowers and Sebas Bastian....but no, he instead caved into getting "his share" from the numbers' bosses under the guise of representing their interests as a lawyer, but in reality an advisor and de facto business partner of these well known thugs. By selling his soul to the devil, Sears has made it abundantly clear that his interests are not (and could never be) aligned with the interests of the Bahamian people and our country. This man could not possibly ever be Prime Minister of the Bahamas, no more so than Craig Flowers or Sebas Bastian could ever be PM! Hopefully the good sensible people of Fort Charlotte will not fall victim a second time to being seduced by this smooth soft talking scoundrel in the next general election. Sears is now nothing but an aider and abettor of many in our society who suffer from serious gambling addictions, with severe consequences for themselves and their families/children.
SP 8 years, 6 months ago
We're not gullible, & know only too well about all kinda election CALLS for dis and dat
No one in the PLP is fit to represent long suffering Bahamians, & the FNM is not the answer.
After 4 decades of friends, family and lovers, routine grand scale deceit, a multiplicity of broken promises uttered to perceived fools, and massively corrupt laden governance from both sides, pray tell WHY and WHO in GODS name with any sense would dare believe anything from Alfred Sears?
Bahamians first my ass!!
We will vote these pirates out even much more soundly than we voted out the little emperor Hubert Ingraham for his unwavering stupidity!
The electorate may not "feel" Bran and Greg, but they can unquestionably "feel" the horrific pains as results of 43 years of the PLP and FNM.
Economist 8 years, 6 months ago
Good comment.
sheeprunner12 8 years, 6 months ago
Perry is BAD, Brave is BAD-ASS, Sears is the WORST.......... NO room for this old crook to be given to be in any future government of this country ....... he represents everything BAD in Nassau
SP 8 years, 6 months ago
Perhaps Mr. Sears has recently found a home for his many thousands of US dollars that were found stashed in his closet he couldn't accounted for?
Emac 8 years, 6 months ago
That was Peete
SP 8 years, 6 months ago
Apologies. I stand corrected. It is difficult at times to keep up with which pirate does what!
TalRussell 8 years, 6 months ago
Comrades, a former attorney general or not, you don't within mere days of being ratified as the PLP’s candidate for the Ft Charlotte constituency to contest against the red shirts Dr. Andre, suddenly take such a giant size leap to go public - all by your lonesome self, calling for the establishment of an “Integrity Commission to investigate the conduct of members of parliament, senators, and senior public officials” and to set term limits for nation's prime ministers?
What is really behind this spin... and whom and what are the smokescreens intended to cover for?
This move is nether by design, nor is itt by accident or impulse?
SP 8 years, 6 months ago
Your actually fool enough to consider falling for this PLP nonsensical deceitful ploy?
SP 8 years, 6 months ago
Perry Gladston Christie "CALLED" for a consistent immigration policy, Dis and Dat
http://www.bahamaslocal.com/newsitem/43…
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2014/feb…
http://www.thebahamasinvestor.com/2016/…
The dancing jackass has been PM twice since making all manner of "CALLS."
Anybody see any semblance of consistent immigration policy or anything else with sense from him to date?
These pirates take us for fools but we're going to show them without doubt who the fools really are come 2017!
ThisIsOurs 8 years, 6 months ago
PLEASE. Go have a read of all the good things promised in the PLP's 2012 manifesto. Why didn't he propose this on May 8, 2012? BAMSI could have use that integrity commission
SP 8 years, 6 months ago
It's called post election alzheimer syndrome. After they win, they immediately forget what they promised, abandon the people and set full sail back to piracy.
Emac 8 years, 6 months ago
This fu*#&ing PLP clown is the worst out of the bunch. He is one of the biggest PLP hypocrites. Sears, please take your old decrepit ass and retire with your numbers money. Old PLP monkeys like you need to stop being power greedy and do the right thing. You have absolutely nothing to offer the Bahamas.
sheeprunner12 8 years, 6 months ago
If anyone wants to look at Sears record, just look at his House of Assembly rules that he created when he was Attorney General ............ look at his record at COB ......... look at his record on the numbers referendum and legalization ......... look at his defense of serious criminals before the courts .......... he is not fit to be considered as a PM-candidate ..... and he is one of those old school hangers-on like Bradley Roberts, Fred Mitchel etc ...... the PLP leadership elite has to break the Pindling mould if it is to be taken seriously as capable of being an honest, transparent, fair, corrupt-free and race-neutral party ... but it (and Sears) won't
........... this so-called Sears manifesto is the same old game of bait and switch that the PLP has used to win the last two PLP elections .......... you cannot trust Sears & the PLP in 2017
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 6 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
viewersmatters 8 years, 6 months ago
Mr. Sears appears to be a good man but in the wrong party. I think it would be best For Mr. Sears to form his own independent party with true patriotic candidates who are loyal, committed, honest and trustworthy. Good man but just in the wrong environment.
Emac 8 years, 6 months ago
Are you kidding me??? And which space ship did you just land from? Name 1 thing that Sears has done during his tenures that would allow him to be called a "good man" Good men do not stand by idly and say nothing while their fellow party members shed the Bahamas to pieces. Sears is simply a sheep in wolf clothing. And that is my most diplomatic description of this fake. History will not be kind to him and his kind no matter what bullshit he tries to utter to make himself looks sincere.
birdiestrachan 8 years, 6 months ago
Mr: Sears is a good man, who with the help of God did not allow adversity to keep him down. He educated himself and he is a great son of the Bahamas. Do you folks ever see anything good in anything or anyone.?
sheeprunner12 8 years, 6 months ago
He continues to use his childhood rape experience to justify his pathetic beliefs ......... is that a good man??????? ....... I suppose he supports Bill #4 as well .............. he is a switch-hitter like most senior PLPs anyway
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