The Tribune

“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.”

• Albert Camus (French author, journalist and philosopher)

By EDWARD FIELDS

In my journey toward peace of mind, I have one last cause left of an altruistic nature before I dive headfirst into focusing on living life for my personal well-being.

It is a subject have become obsessed with and have been deliberating on how to go about encouraging government to move on the issue. It is an issue that speaks to the future of our beloved Bahamas.

I suppose I did not go to the lengths I needed to go to promote the issue of which I speak partly because of the shackles of party politics.

What better place to be unshackled but Eleuthera? My recent trip to Eleuthera, not only personified its definition, but exemplified why it should be allowed to realize its definition. FREEDOM. This goes for all our islands and all our people, including those in New Providence.

For all of those who think we live in a democracy, vanquish the thought. In fact, we do not have even a conceptual democracy.

The greatest detractor of our democracy has been our two-party system which serves as a feeder system for maintaining the lineage of our constitutional monarchy. The fault is ours collectively, as we have in a tribalistic, mindless and willing fashion participated in its continued existence.

There are two ways to change this.

1. For independents to overwhelm the party system through the branches. (More on this at a later date).

2. The implementation of strong local government.

As I drove from “down” North to “up” South over and over again in Eleuthera, the impact that REAL local government could have, became vividly evident. Local government is the embodiment of the people’s time. It’s now, more than ever before, that time to give the people their “chance to do better” for themselves.

We have experienced the inability for Father Central Government to do all and everything that we need to advance our freedom (and dare I say, happiness) and hence the people must be given the freedom to do for themselves.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of our Independence, the greatest gift leadership can give to the Bahamian people is more Independence. IT IS TIME FOR INDEPENDENCE 2.0!

Independence to date has seen little evolution and I contend that is why our “democracy” has not evolved since 1973.

The Final Report from the Advisory Committee on the Introduction of Local Government to New Providence is titled - DELIVERING ON A PROMISE: PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE.

The preface of the report states, “The Advisory Committee’s recommendations are consistent with the FNM’s government’s theme - “It’s the people’s time. The committee’s recommendations, if implemented...” - and would allow New Providence residents to shape the future development of their communities. The strength of the existing local government regime in the Family Islands will also allow for their development, above and beyond collecting garbage and mowing easements.

The Advisory Committee on Local Government completed its work and the preliminary template is in hand.

I wish to implore the Minister responsible for Local Government to heed the words of the Prime Minister in his reference to the work of another committee:

“We cannot allow good ideas and innovative approaches put forward to wither on the vine because some politician or some bureaucrat is too timid, too rigid or too concerned with defending their turf.

“As Prime Minister, I am putting ministers, parliamentary secretaries, permanent secretaries and heads of departments and agencies on notice:

“We do not have the luxury right now of doing the same old, same old.

“The recommendations of the ERC and its subcommittees are not being produced to be read and put on a shelf in the face of stubborn politicians and a sluggish bureaucracy.”

Minister, you have in your hands the power to go down in history as either advancing or hindering our democracy. I am confident you will do the former. Take the report off the shelf and march it through the process. Be the General for the 2020 version of the fight for what it will mean to lift our heads to a rising sun - a Bahamaland for generations to come.