The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

VETERAN attorney Romona Farquharson Seymour wants new vision and leadership for the Bahamas Bar Association, telling The Tribune she is running to be the new president.

Mrs Farquharson, a general practice attorney for over 20 years, said she is confident she can succeed in the role.

“I’m going to put my best foot forward, as I believe I can do a better job, take the Bar further where it needs to go,” she said.

“We need to right ourselves in some things, and again, it’s not a case where I’m saying that the present president hasn’t done anything; no, certainly not, not saying that at all, but we need more and we should have that.”

With elections scheduled for June 30, Mrs Farquharson-Seymour stressed the need for electoral reform. She said debates should be held amongst candidates.

“We also have issues with respect to our voting process,” she said. “It’s based heavily on how many proxies a person can get, and I believe that is really killing the Bar.

“It is being abused. It’s causing persons to just sit back and say, well, okay, all I have to do is sign a proxy form and not question, well, why is it that you want to be president? More particularly to my opponent, why is it that you want to be president for another term, making it eight or ten years? What further vision is there that you have, or what is it that you want to complete?”

“And so, you know, all of those things need to be addressed.”

Mrs Farquharson-Seymour said she contacted the current Bar president, Khalil Parker, about having a debate, but he declined her request.

If elected, Ms Farquharson-Seymour said she would pursue transparency. She emphasised the need to reactivate the Bar and Bench Committee and remove government taxes on specific legal services.

Although she did not discount the work of the current leadership team, she criticised their ability to follow through.

“You would be heard,” she said, “and then been given, let’s say, a satisfactory answer, but then does that really translate to action, something happening? And that seems to be where the gap is. Yes, you’re hearing me, and you’re saying the right words, tickling my ear, but then where’s the action?

“You say you’re doing things behind the scenes? Well, what exactly is that and where are we at, and why can’t you just reach the finish line and get it done? If you are being ignored, then tell us as a membership, and then how do we respond as a membership? We need to know because we have the numbers, we have the influence, so I think that’s where the difficulty has really been.”