The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

DAYS after reports suggested the Minnis administration were nearing a finalised list of government board appointments, Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest said yesterday aspects of the appointments were still being discussed and are now expected to be concluded "within a fortnight".

The government has faced some level of pressure for its delay in naming its list of appointments to the various statutory boards ahead of the start of the new fiscal year, a move the Minnis administration criticised the former government for while in opposition.

The beginning of the month marked the start of the new fiscal year and with it came reports that the Minnis administration had met on and certified several key appointments with the view to release its completed list by Tuesday, July 4.

However, despite those indications, the East Grand Bahama MP yesterday insisted that list of appointments had not been finalised and was still before Cabinet.

Asked to clarify the status of the appointments, Mr Turnquest said: "The Cabinet will release the list in its appointed time."

He added: "I'm sure it will be within a fortnight."

When asked if it would be better to report the list as completed and certified, or as in flux, he responded: "The matter is before Cabinet."

In 2012, former Prime Minister Perry Christie was criticised for failing to appoint people to boards in time for the start of that fiscal year, July 1.

The Christie administration argued at that time that its predecessor, the 2007 Ingraham administration, didn't complete its appointment until July 8, 2007.

Meanwhile, Free National Movement Chairman Sidney Collie yesterday seemed to bow out of the ongoing public debate he had with Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts on the matter, telling The Tribune that all comments on appointments would now come exclusively from the Cabinet level.

In a war of words earlier this week, Mr Roberts said Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and his administration were not ready to govern and continued to "muddle along" despite its past criticisms.

In response, Mr Collie said it took the PLP at least 100 days to name appointees, adding that it has only taken the new government about half the time to compose the boards.

When asked to respond to criticisms that statutory boards are normally filled by party supporters, Mr Collie this week said there was criteria prescribed by law for appointments, but indicated party supporters do expect opportunities to serve once their party of choice is successfully elected.

Moreover, Mr Collie said the party often does whatever is possible to ensure this expectation is accommodated. He also noted that an estimated 6,200 persons have expressed interest in the various appointments.

Mr Collie played a vital role in the FNM's transition team following the May 10 general elections.

In addition to Mr Collie, Dr Minnis, Mr Turnquest, Attorney General Carl Bethel, former parliamentarian Cornelius A Smith and former Ambassador to the United States Joshua Sears, all played prominent roles on the transition team.