The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE DEMOCRATIC National Alliance Deputy Leader yesterday questioned the Government’s ability to secure a pro-Bahamian resolution to the Baha Mar debacle, claiming that the newest wave of negotiations was not likely to end favorably for Bahamians.

Chris Mortimer said while the resumption of conciliatory talks over the stalled mega resort suggested the possibility of new developments on the Baha Mar front, there was concern that the talks will end without a resolution or a clear way forward.

He said the role Perry Christie and his administration played in the Baha Mar breakdown did not inspire confidence in the government’s skills at negotiation and its capability to bring about a resolution to the controversy. 

Mr Mortimer’s statements came after it emerged that the Prime Minister had dispatched a team - led by Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson and Sir Baltron Bethel - to China to negotiate a deal with the China Export-Import (EXIM) Bank, the resort’s lender, to jumpstart the embattled Cable Beach development. 

Last July, Mrs Maynard-Gibson led a team to mediate negotiations in Beijing between China EXIM, Baha Mar representatives and China State Construction Engineering Corporation. Those talks failed in two successive trips, the first of which ended with Mrs Maynard-Gibson returning to the capital and filing a winding-up petition in the Supreme Court after those negotiations reached a stalemate. 

“While the resumption of these talks speak to the possibility of new developments on the Baha Mar front, the DNA is again concerned that these talks will end without resolution, without a clear way forward for the people of this country and on terms that may not be in the best long-term interest of The Bahamas,” Mr Mortimer said.

Further adding to his scepticism, Mr Mortimer said, was the role the government played in further exacerbating the controversy surrounding Baha Mar, such as Mr Christie openly questioning the mental health of the resort’s developer, Sarkis Izmirlian, as well as two Cabinet ministers warning Mr Izmirlian for his seeming disrespect of the Prime Minister. 

“Mr Christie and members of his government have been silent on the role the government played in contributing to the Baha Mar breakdown,” Mr Mortimer said.

“From name calling and verbal spats in the media to the initiation of a winding up petition, this administration’s handling of the Baha Mar matter has left much to be desired and begs the question: Can this administration be trusted to negotiate in the best interest of The Bahamas?”

To that end, Mr Mortimer also called on the Christie administration to “immediately” update the public on the results of the recent negotiations, which he suggested should ultimately be in favour of The Bahamas. 

“Has an agreement been reached?” Mr Mortimer said. “If so, what are the terms of the agreement and how will Bahamians benefit in the short, medium and long term? If not, what are the issues hindering a possible resolution? 

“These questions and countless more must be answered. Not just for the sake of those terminated employees but also for the sake of our country’s international reputation and our tourism product.”

He said: “This Christie administration has had yet another opportunity to finally address this obvious national crisis in a way that benefits the nation as a whole. The DNA hopes that the government’s negotiators have learned from their previous mistakes and are prepared to strenuously negotiate in the best long-term interest of the Bahamas.”

Baha Mar was scheduled to open in December 2014; however, the resort subsequently set a soft opening for March 27, 2015. After that date was delayed days before the planned opening, Baha Mar officials said they were aiming for an early May opening. 

On June 29, however Baha Mar and 14 of its affiliated companies filed for bankruptcy in a Delaware court, blaming the resort’s contractor, China Construction America (CCA) for the construction delays that caused it to miss its previous opening deadlines. 

Officials have said the mega resort is 97 per cent complete.