The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I am most grateful for this opportunity to comment in your publication/media service on comments made by Dr Duane Sands, national chairman of the Free National Movement, the official Opposition on the Award of Excellence given to two internationally distinguished individuals during our 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations.

I strongly disagree with the comments and posture taken by the FNM in this matter. It is highly offensive to the national good and the image of The Bahamas for the Official Opposition to visit such an unprovoked, nasty and disingenuous assault on The Bahamas conferring the Award of Excellence on the history making President of Rwanda and a senior Congresswoman of the United States – who has a solid record as a long-time friend of The Bahamas and whose husband served here as US Ambassador.

The FNM’s comments are viewed by many as (1) racist and (2) misogynist.

On the “racist” point, we paraphrase Dr Sands, “we find it interesting” that two black persons are the target of the FNM’s bile and venom.

“We find it interesting” that the Hon. Michael Pintard, leader of Her Majesty’s Official Opposition and leader of the FNM who is quite loquacious is hiding behind his national chairman in this exercise. It is very rare in Bahamian politics to find the party leader flanking the national chairman; who is the sole spokesman; at a news conference.

Was Mr Pintard ashamed or just a political coward?

I should also point out to Dr Duane Sands and the FNM the need to get their story right. The Independence Celebrations and the conferring of the award took place on the historic CLIFFORD PARK”. Not “Clifton Park” as Dr Sands incorrectly repeatedly states.

Now this is very interesting again. A Freudian slip? You better believe it.

Let me get Dr. Sands and the FNM over their ‘Clifford’ and ‘Clifton’ hump.

The FNM has always been embarrassed over “CLIFTON PARK”. Clifton Park, situate in the southwest corridor of the island of New Providence is the national heritage park created by a special act of Parliament during the first PLP Perry Christie administration.

The land on which the Clifton National Heritage Park is situated was owned by the Harry Oakes Estate and the Pindling PLP government in the late 1980s had “acquired the land”, but never paid for it, for use as the new cruise ship port.

The FNM Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and his government entered into an agreement in 1999 with the California real estate company, Bechtel, to sell the Clifton land for the creation of a luxury real estate development for foreign owners.

An EPIA study of the property discovered that four distinct periods of the history of the Bahamas was contained on the land at Clifton. (1) The Lucayan or indigenous people and original inhabitants of the Bahamas. (2) The Europeans with the arrival of Columbus. (3) The African Slave trade and hence the African diaspora. (4) The arrival of the Loyalist fleeing Revolutionary United States. (5) Emancipation.

Distinguished scholars, universities, archaeologists and historians from around the world hailed the Clifton property for its importance and significance.

Bahamians rose up and vigorously protested the FNM’s bold, offensive and unpatriotic decision, having learned of the facts, to still sell the land to the Bechtel Corporation and thus allow for the avalanche of fossils, history and artifacts to be destroyed and lost forever to the Bahamian people.

The grassroots efforts to save the Clifton Property from the FNM’s barbaric pursuit and decision was led by activists and environmentalists like Keod Smith, Sam Duncombe, Dr CB Moss, the Coalition to Save Clifton, Save the Bays and many others.

The FNM government dug its heels in and defiantly moved with haste to part with the Clifton property.

Perry Christie, as Leader of the Opposition, went to the Clifton property and declared that should he win the 2002 General Election any contract or agreement made by the Hubert Ingraham government to cede with this valuable property would be rescinded and voided.

Mr Christie also promised that his PLP government would make the Clifton property a National Heritage Park. That promise was realised in legislation passed by the House of Assembly in 2005.

Editor, it is not a shocker that the political trauma of “CLIFTON PARK” still haunts the political ecosystems of the Free National Movement to the extent where its leader and national chairman cannot distinguish between Clifton Park and Clifford Park.

There are many smart people in the FNM and I am almost certain they know that Clifford Park is named for Sir Bede Clifford, a former Royal Governor of the Bahama Islands.

Dr Sands thus begins his elergy with a falsehood. It must follow that if one part of the sum is wrong then the final answer has to be wrong.

Mr Pintard is quite aware of the National Honours Act which he and his party supported and voted for in Parliament.

He must be aware that the Order of Excellence under the Act is exclusive to non-Bahamians or foreigners and the Prime Minister or others can make recommendation to the Awards Committee to consider the awards to nominees so recommended.

It is insulting to the intelligence of the Bahamian people and politically dishonest for the FNM to make it appear that something is amiss, improper, illegal or out of sync with the Award of Excellence in this regard. They clearly know the facts. They know the Act. They know the law.

So why are intelligent people acting the fool? A wiser person said when you see this happening, watch out because they are up to something.

Paul Kagame is the democratically elected President of the Republic of Rwanda. Rwanda became the 54th nation to join the Commonwealth at the 2009 CHOGM. It became the second country (after Mozambique) not to have any historical ties with the United Kingdom. Rwanda had been a colony of Germany in the 19th century and later of Belgium for the first half of the 20th century.

Editors, these easily verifiable facts tell us that Rwanda was accepted into the Commonwealth of Nations when the Right Hon Hubert A Ingraham was Prime Minister and leader of the FNM (2007-2012), and The Bahamas as a Member of the Commonwealth welcomed Rwanda. Not a word of protest on Rwanda from the FNM, but suddenly, and on the occasion of the nation’s 50th celebrations, Dr Sands and Mr Pintard think it is an opportune time for divisiveness. Some will ask if this is to play a racist card.

Mr Kagame is moving resolutely in his efforts for unity on the African continent and is having much success. His arrival in The Bahamas and his friendship demonstrates his nation’s interest in creating linkages and ties all over the globe. The internal politics of Rwanda are to be left to the people of Rwanda.

For Dr Sands and segments of the media to zone in on jaundiced information, the source of which must be questionable; is irresponsible and unscholarly.

As to Maxine Waters, it just boggles the mind why the FNM would attack her dignity, strength and character of this great black American woman and leader.

Maxine Waters is the Lioness of the Congress. The former chairwoman of the powerful Finance Oversight Committee and I repeat a great friend of The Bahamas. The energiser of the Black Caucus in American politics. Her husband Sidney, served here with quiet distinction as US Ambassador to The Bahamas. He was a welcome relief to the bombastic, interfering Carol Boyd Hallet, from whom even the Republicans distanced themselves.

The other weak and puerile argument put by Dr Sands was President Kagame and Ms Waters were allowed to address the Clifford Park celebrations. It is trite protocol for persons given an award of this magnitude and in such a setting to be allowed to say thank you. Dr Sands’ argument that this interfered with scheduling is not worthy of comment.

I am astonished that we awoke in a Bahamas on Day One after celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Independence; to encounter an official Opposition Free National Movement, which seems to have regressed and continues to behave and perform like a candidate for irrelevancy and consignment to the trash bin of history.

There are hundreds of Bahamians who would have thought that on Day One after we marked this epochal 50 years, the FNM which was opposed to Independence in 1973 and went on to oppose National Insurance and the creation of the Bahamas Defence Force; would be charting a more dynamic and vibrant course for the road to the centennial anniversary. They should be eager to leave their old baggage behind.

I was anticipating broad, intellectual, engaging political discourse from the FNM as we move as a people to build our nation, end cynicism, excite and energise the fullest political and economic participation in the democracy.

Bahamians must be saying Dr Sands and Mr Pintard have some serious thinking to do. And decisions to make. Relevancy will matter on the road ahead.

Since Dr Sands and Mr Pintard are still sulking over Independence, 50 years later, I want to encourage them to sign on to the national call of “Forward Upward, Onward, Together”.

It’s still not too late. Thank you for this space.

SENATOR DARRON S PICKSTOCK

Nassau,

July 13, 2023