FNM deputy wants march against PM

The Nassau Guardian

FNM deputy wants march against PM

Free National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday called on the thousands of homeowners whose mortgages are in trouble and those whose homes have been repossessed to demonstrate against Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Butler-Turner said Christie abused his power when he called the managing director of CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank to halt the repossession of the home of his value-added tax coordinator Ishmael Lightbourne, who evaded taxes for more than 20 years.

“We have got to demonstrate that our communities, our society and existence as we see it today is being compromised by ineffective and incompetent governance,” she said in an interview with The Nassau Guardian.

Butler-Turner also blasted MICAL MP V. Alfred Gray and Minister of State for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez for defending Christie’s action.

“As pointed out by V. Alfred Gray in his own words, a bailiff was there to serve, I guess, a summons to the individual (Lightbourne) who was rescued on the spot,” Butler-Turner said.

“That is circumventing the law. That is circumventing the ability of that lending institution to be able to secure [its] interest, and that in and of itself is not just about compassion.”

Gray revealed last week in the House that the prime minister took action to save Lightbourne’s home when a bailiff showed up with a court order to seize the house. He called Christie a “good Samaritan”.

Gomez later said it was CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank that told the bailiff not to serve the court order on Lightbourne after Christie called the bank and worked out an arrangement.

Gomez said Christie’s actions were not improper, and he (Christie) facilitated the bank being paid.

Gray’s statements raised concerns among some people about whether Christie interfered with a judicial officer in the execution of his duties.

Butler-Turner urged activists and struggling homeowners to join her and the FNM in a peaceful protest outside Parliament to demonstrate their outrage over the matter.

Butler-Turner said she plans to meet with the FNM parliamentary caucus today, but hopes the demonstration will take place in the coming days.

She also said the Christie administration has let down hundreds of homeowners, who were sold on the Progressive Liberal Party’s pre-election campaign promise of assistance through its mortgage relief plan, which failed.

“Bahamians do want to do for themselves, but when they see a prime minister of a country using his power to rescue, not just a wealthy businessman, who has clearly demonstrated that he has no desire to abide within the rules of law in our country, whether it is paying his taxes or his mortgage, they now have to question where do they stand,” Butler-Turner said.

Lightbourne has admitted to The Nassau Guardian that he evaded taxes for many years due to “financial hardships”.

Butler-Turner called Gray’s statement that God will never bless the FNM if its leaders continue not to open their bowels of compassion to people, the most “idiotic defense of the indefensible”.

The FNM deputy leader said the government should focus on coming up with a viable mortgage relief plan, adding she was not surprised the previous plan failed.

“We had already had those conversations, meaning the Hubert Ingraham administration,” she said.

“We had already had those conversations with the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation, with the various commercial banks and the various lending institutions to ensure that they go to the table with these individuals, who were facing hardship so they could renegotiate their mortgages.

“But the challenge that there was, was that many people had also lost their jobs, and it is very difficult to renegotiate a loan if there are no funds to go to the payment on the interest, and that was the problem that we faced.”

The government’s mortgage relief plan, which was projected to assist 1,000 homeowners, actually helped fewer than 10, officials said.

The government allocated $10 million for the plan in September 2012.

According to the government’s figures, at the time, there were around 4,000 homeowners in arrears.

In January, Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis said the government was examining an alternative proposal to its last mortgage relief plan, which he said fell far below expectations.

He said at the time that until an alternative plan comes into effect, the government hoped to provide homeowners with other forms of protection.

 

 

more info...