PM: PLP playing the race card

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

As of Friday, July 13, 2018

Reader poll

Do you agree with the posthumous award of National Hero to Sir Roland Symonette?

Yes 54%
No 46%

541 total votes.

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said it appears the Progressive Liberal Party is playing the race card when it comes to Sir Roland Symonette’s posthumous award of National Hero but implored Bahamians to move beyond skin colour when discussions focus on the contributions made toward nation building.

The Bahamas’ first National Honours recipients were announced on Independence Day. Sir Roland received the top honour with former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling, Sir Milo Butler and Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield.

Sir Roland’s honour has been met with controversy, including allegations from the PLP that the former premier led a “racist regime” and opposed the fight for independence.

“I don’t go down that road. We must move beyond colours. So, I don’t see people like that,” Dr Minnis said when asked about the controversy.

Asked if he believed the PLP was playing the race card, the prime minister said: “It would appear that way but that’s a word I take out of my dictionary. I don’t go down that road.”

This came after Free National Movement Chairman Carl Culmer defended the awarding of the honour to the country’s first premier. Mr Culmer said on Wednesday Sir Roland singlehandedly “did more for black people” than some people of colour.

Mr Culmer said no man is without sin as he defended the former premier’s legacy.

Regarding the decision, Mr Culmer said: “My question to anyone: did Sir Roland contribute to development and also to the country? The answer would be ‘yes’.

“I had no issues with him receiving national honours. I have no issue with any Bahamian receiving national honours who contributed to the growth and development of our country.”

When asked about the backlash, Mr Culmer said: “I saw the comments, but the thing is we can say the same thing about the former prime minister from the PLP. He did a lot to black folks as well. Should he not be recognised? My thing is, yes, he should be recognised.”

Mr Culmer clarified that he was referring to Sir Lynden, while also defending Sir Roland’s legacy.

“So, my thing is, there’s no man without sin. And during that era, I didn’t hear nothing about Sir Roland being prejudiced,” Mr Culmer said.

“I heard and read where he (Sir Roland) did a lot for black people. He was the one that gave a lot of loans to black people, giving them opportunities that they didn’t have normally. If the records are correct, he did more for black people — I’m talking singlehandedly — than many black people did for black folks.”

When asked to elaborate on the ways Sir Lynden oppressed black Bahamians, Mr Culmer pointed to political victimisation.

PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell told reporters on Wednesday that it is the PLP’s view that Sir Roland was not a “fitting, proper person” to qualify for that award.

“It is the (PLP’s) view that Sir Roland did not fit the legal definition in the (law) for a national hero,” Mr Mitchell said. “We made that point clear in all of the correspondence…with the government on this matter.”

Mr Mitchell added that it is the party’s view that the one person who “without question” fit the definition in the law was Sir Lynden.

“That is without question, there can be no argument about it.”

In a post to Facebook, Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin decried Sir Roland’s award.

“I do not accept that a man who led a racist regime – Sir Roland Symonette – whose deliberate policies obstructed the natural human development and progress of the masses of Bahamian people can ever be deemed a ‘national hero.’ This decision is perverse and highly offensive. It is grotesque revisionism,” she wrote.

Alex_Charles 6 years, 4 months ago

You really can't make this stuff up.

B_I_D___ 6 years, 4 months ago

It is the only card the PLP knows how to play to cause more divisiveness in our community, instead of unity.

TheMadHatter 6 years, 4 months ago

I normally support Glenys, but cannot in this instance. I believe she is a national hero herself, seriously. However, the best thing for the PLP on this issue would have been to keep quiet.

Bahamians need to start paying attention to who is stealing their sand, salt, and oil DAILY - but i guess racism is more fun.

DWW 6 years, 4 months ago

glenys is a straight up gangster and you know it. some of the stories are incredulous.

TalRussell 6 years, 4 months ago

Ma comrades, the bigger question is which Black Bahamalander did the Bay Street Boys, or the UBP - honour during their governing years and who says we should have picked 'any four politicians' for first draft National Heroes?

TheMadHatter 6 years, 4 months ago

Tal....stirring the pot? Again, i say yall paying mortgage while the Queen got ya Crown land, paying high gas price while yah oil being pumped out the sea bed RIGHT NOW and tief, and same with ya sand. There is a worldwide shortage on sand now (look it up) and we here giving ours away. Same with salt - sending it out in big big sack, but we can't package even one box to put on our grocery shelves. Not one.

But let's complain about the white man. Exciting stuff.

bogart 6 years, 4 months ago

see Tribune Thursday, December 14, 2017 "Regulations tabled fot national honours" by Khrisna Russell where Dr Minnis says "I wish to acknowledge the work of the previous administration in the development and passage of the National Honours Act 2016" ............... Roc wid Doc just following the procedures in gazatted act whichin calls for a Secretary, an Advisory Committee of 10 people, calls fer da Opposition leader, calls fer a Chancellor whichin is da Governor General....who by the way is Dame Marguerite Pindling....who certainly has precious experiences coming all da way from Andros to Nassau in 1946 to attend school...after whichinin she as an avid photographer worked at Toogoods Photo (right outside da shop was where one Amos Ferguson painter uses to be selling he paintings to everubody passing by) and Lady Marguerite also worked wid Colyn Rees anodder big time famous photographer an met her future husband who had an office next to Reeses office....married Sir Lynden 1956... Bottom line is the system to deal wid dese honours worked .....as is....and if da system doesnt ...den by all means....put it on der agenda and change da system.......just google up der Bahamas National Honours Act an check it out.......

Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 4 months ago

Minnis is the one who has deliberately played the race card by his consent to the honoring of Sir Roland in an effort to deflect the public's attention away from his foolish decision to increase VAT by 60%, not to mention the myriad of other major issues attributable to him and his fellow cabinet ministers that have caused great public discontentment with the FNM government he leads. Past political leaders (Pindling, Ingraham and Christie) always played the race card as a common trick and Minnis is well aware that doing so has time and time again proven to an effective means of quickly diverting the attention of most D- educated voters away from the much more relevant, controversial and serious issues confronting our country as a result of incompetent governing. Don't let yourself be easily bamboozled from focusing on the real issues at hand.

realfreethinker 6 years, 4 months ago

Well-mudda you really have some issues you need to work out. you just seem so bitter. Some one tief yer conch aye?

BahamasForBahamians 6 years, 4 months ago

well-mudda is actually talking sense. you are the only fnm surrogate who'se fnm sunglasses are too red to see.

realfreethinker 6 years, 4 months ago

Not you BforB. You are the real kool aid drinker.

CatIslandBoy 6 years, 4 months ago

Well-Mudda obviously has serious issues. He/She definitely has a boner for Minnis - probably a little jealousy.

sealice 6 years, 4 months ago

Why the hell do they even waste time being racist??? they want to waste time and money complaining about 5% of the population that TODAY had nothing to do with their momma and the UBP???? that's how weak they are cus that's all they got.....

Alex_Charles 6 years, 4 months ago

Amazing that people are buying Minnis' BS. Lest we forget he's the same man that used race and white support for LBT as the crux of his campaign against her. that he was a regular black Bahamian.

Disgraceful.

Greentea 6 years, 4 months ago

What did Sir Roland do to benefit the country? What is his lasting legacy? I really need to know because Brent don't count. In my opinion - if we want to honor white national leader - after Sir Stafford Sands, things start to get a little thin in terms of contributions.

licks2 6 years, 4 months ago

Spppsssssssssssssstttttt. . .WE DON'T LIVE IN YINNA HEADS. . .YA HAVE TO MAKE YA POINT CLEAR. . .ALL THAN BITTERNESS GETTING IN THE WAY OF US UNDERSTANDING YOU!!

BahamasForBahamians 6 years, 4 months ago

Typical response when there is no response..

Greentea.. since this guy refuses to answer you.. Here's what Sir Roland did:

Steal Majority of our Crown Land Accepted Corruptions to prostitute casino license Illegally Imported Contraband into the US Raped the Public Treasury through perpetual contracts Oppose the progression of any black person in The Bahamas Called the police on any black person he saw on Bay Street Passed all of his ill-gotten wealth on to his family - and not returned to the state for the benefit of all Bahamians

DWW 6 years, 4 months ago

this is all hearsay and mostly false. symonette made all of his money from bootlegging and then investing in the bay street waterfront no govt' contracts. when the UBP handed over the reins of the country (in one of the most non-violent transitions in the world) the Treasury had a substantial surplus. within 5 years of PLP rule the Bahamas Treasury was broke and borrowing money. The beginning of hte PLP era is why we now have $8,000,000,000 in debt to the IDB and 12% VAT. your 12% VAT is not a result of Symonette and the UBP. It is directly a result of poor governance and fleasing of the peoples taxes by the PLP and FNM. stop spreading disinformation. read a real book and not a fake one.

Andros242 6 years, 4 months ago

licks2, we ain't blind, stop screaming in block caps!

birdiestrachan 6 years, 4 months ago

one has to excuse doc. he does not know what he is doing. What ever Mr: Symonett may be he is no hero. He did nothing at all to advance the masses. But he doc has the son sitting right next to him. Maybe the son Mr: small things told him to do this Doc knows that they are the people who buy the red shirts and pompons and he has to please them.

Andros242 6 years, 4 months ago

Pindling don't deserve the title of a national hero, he was an outright corrupt PLP drug dealing facilitator of Carlos Ledher with payback by Lehder to Pindling in the millions, this is factual history, read the findings of the Commission of Enquiry. Lehder still in jail.

Andros242 6 years, 4 months ago

and why is Pindling's wife still sitting in Govrnment House, Minnis like her hey. she allegedly got her share stashed away, with his.

sheeprunner12 6 years, 4 months ago

Pop Symonette was a British hack to maintain the colonial status quo ....... how can he be a national hero of an independent black nation???? ....... Find me a similar other "national hero" in the BWI or Africa.

He is not a Norman Manley or Bustamante, for sure.

Greentea 6 years, 4 months ago

That's for dam sure.

TalRussell 6 years, 4 months ago

No disrespect to Ma Comrade PM - but man's has stop using 'public purse' pay those "40" hired guns makeover consultants up in PMO - from spending too much time focusing create your own reality...... and obviously they's got you believe it....This has be extracting some serious stress on PM's brain..... might explain way man's seems be so confused in public.

sheeprunner12 6 years, 4 months ago

Even the post-Cold War democratic Germany did not rewrite their post-WW1 history to acknowledge the "good" of Hitler .......... because Hitler was part of a regime that (at its core) was antithetical to modern human civilization .... that is my point.

You cannot put lipstick (honours) on a pig (Pop) and call it beautiful (hero).

DWW 6 years, 4 months ago

i can't believe you would compare symonette to Hitler? trying to incite race riots hey?

sheeprunner12 6 years, 4 months ago

Sooooooooo, now that we have 4 National Heroes ......... Where will we put up their statues???? ........... Where is our National Heroes' Park???? .......... And don't tell me about that corner in Botanical Gardens ......... SMDH

hrysippus 6 years, 4 months ago

Well, thank God, at least Rev Sebastian Campbell is on this list of National Heroes, almost single-handed he has recued hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Bahamians, not to mention his heroic actions in defeating the enemy during the last time we were invaded. I don't think anyone eelse on the list achieved much of anything except a large public pension. Tank you, taxpayers. Suckers all.

geostorm 6 years, 4 months ago

For goodness sake people, can you unite as a country for the good of all of us! Stop this un-necessary division. We are bigger and better than that.

DDK 6 years, 4 months ago

Sadly, it does not appear that we are. I would hope the venomous ones are in the minority.

John 6 years, 4 months ago

Maybe it is time to stop digging up the dead and let them rest in peace. Look for living folks in your own era to bestow honors on so that society may be able to appropriately determine it they are worthy of the honor. A snow shovel has little use in the Bahamas but an umbrella is almost always needed.

John 6 years, 4 months ago

And let us not forget that other American President who wanted to use Bahamians to test for a vaccine for AIDS. Yes by injections of the live AIDS virus.

ashley14 6 years, 3 months ago

Yikes, didn't know that. I'm not surprised.

Mr_Right 6 years, 4 months ago

This is the most sorry excuse of a Prime Minister this country has ever had. I wish nothing well for him. He disrespects himself, our ancestors and the majority of the people in this country. I hope they pay him the same level of respect. To think he would use race as the issue. The man was an oppressor of the majority of people in this country, that is not a race issue that is a fact. He is a sorry excuse of a man with absolutely no foundation. WEAK!!!!

Gotoutintime 6 years, 4 months ago

The race card will be played in the Bahamas until there are no white people left---Then all that are left will be happy??

sheeprunner12 6 years, 4 months ago

True ........ at least Pop stayed after 1967 ........ Many whites left ........... Not all Bahamian whites were bad people, not all Conchy Joes are bad people, not all black Bahamians are GOOD people ........ But we are all subject to the social and cultural norms that we are immersed in ......... The white Abaconians will have parallel views of the country as the Segillians ...... but Long Island Conchy Joes are a different breed all together. Same thing with urban blacks versus rural blacks.

hrysippus 6 years, 4 months ago

"Many whites left " This is simply not true. More lies from Creeprunner. Some expats left but I can only think of one white Bahamian family who left because of the secession. Now if Creeprunner can post all these many white Bahamian names of families leaving then I will freely admit to being wrong. Since he will not because he cannot, Creeps should just keep quiet and stop posting lies.

DDK 6 years, 4 months ago

You only have to look at the continent across the pond to our east and you have your answer. Better yet, look at the big island to our south-east!

John 6 years, 4 months ago

The fact is America spent decades trying to create Blacks (and Hispanics) that would become predators and feed on themselves. Black on black crime was a creation of the powers that be. ‘Keep them poor and in need’ and they will kill up one one another. The Bible tells us that the (Black) man forgets who his enemy is and like a hungry dog he goes back licking his enemies feet and looking for food and affection. But the enemy never forgets!

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