McWeeney: Fears over bill four ‘defy logic’

The Nassau Guardian

McWeeney: Fears over bill four ‘defy logic’

Constitutional Commission Chairman Sean McWeeney dismissed critics who believe the proposed amendment to Article 26 of the constitution, which seeks to end discrimination based on sex, would pave the way for gay marriage.

McCartney said the argument “defies logic” and is a total “red herring”.

“The amendment to Article 26 has nothing to do with same-sex marriage,” said McWeeney during a meeting with members of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) on Monday night.

“It was never intended to deal with same sex marriage. This is a red herring. Article 26 is all about enshrining the principles of equality between men and women. That is what it is about. It is as simple as that.

“Either you believe in it or you don’t. If you don’t believe in it, vote no.

“If you do not believe men and women are equal, vote no. If, on the other hand, you believe that it is an important principle of national life, that we should accept and follow and adhere to equality between men and women, then vote yes. That is all it is about.

“But all of this nonsense about same-sex marriage is a total red herring.

“This word sex has been in our constitution for 41 years. When have you heard anybody stand up over the last 41 years and say that we should have a constitutional amendment to take the word out of Article 15?

“So why now is it suddenly a problem because you want to use that same word and put it in Article 26 of the constitution? It defies logic.”

Article 15 speaks about the fundamental rights and freedoms of an individual.

McWeeney was responding to a member of the audience who raised the question.

The fourth constitutional bill seeks to make it unconstitutional for any law or any person acting in the performance of any public office to discriminate based on sex.

Prime Minister Perry Christie has said this will not make same-sex marriages lawful.

But Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader Branville McCartney is concerned it could lead to same-sex marriages.

Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins, Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells and Bahamas Christian Council President Rev. Ranford Patterson have similar worries.

The four bills, which seek to amend the constitution to bring about gender equality, were recently tabled in the House of Assembly. Debate on the bills began last week and is expected to resume today.

A constitutional referendum is scheduled for November 6.

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New sentencing date set for serial rapist

The Nassau Guardian

New sentencing date set for serial rapist

The sentencing for a serial rapist who raped two women in separate home invasions has been rescheduled.

Convicted rapist Oscar Ingraham will now be sentenced on August 29 since a psychiatric report has finally been prepared.

Justice Carolita Bethell was forced to push back sentencing twice because the report was incomplete.

The first attack took place on February 28, 2012, and the second happened between 11 p.m. on May 29 and 5 a.m. on May 30, 2012.

In the first case, Ingraham broke into the home of two foreigners and robbed both of them of cash, cell phones, travel documents and government-issued identification and work permits, valued at $3,325.

He raped one of the women, while the other watched, according to the evidence.

In the second incident, Ingraham broke into a woman’s western New Providence home and robbed her of $165 cash and a $200 Nokia cell phone before sexually assaulting her at gunpoint.

The rape occurred during an island-wide power outage.

Ingraham represented himself at trial.

Darell Taylor and Raquel Whymms appear for the Crown.

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Police questioning school officials about drowning

The Nassau Guardian

Police questioning school officials about drowning

Police were yesterday interviewing school officials regarding the drowning of a toddler on Thursday in waters off Montagu Beach, according to Superintendent Paul Rolle, head of the Central Detective Unit.

Rolle said the investigation was still in the preliminary stages and he could not reveal too many details.
He said it was too early to say whether any charges would be filed in relation to the matter, but police were being very thorough in their investigation.  

According to police, officers responded to an incident at the beach where an elementary school was having a picnic, around 6 p.m.

When officers arrived, they found the three-year-old boy unresponsive in the water, according to police.  

The boy, whose identity was not released, was attended to by emergency medical services personnel and transported to Princess Margaret Hospital, where he died.  

Police said an autopsy will confirm the exact cause of death. 

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Dismal scores persist for nat’l exams

The Nassau Guardian

Dismal scores persist for nat’l exams

While student performance improved marginally in more than half of the 27 Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) exam categories, on average students have continued to earn Ds and Es in English language and mathematics, respectively, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Education yesterday.

According to the results, 588 students received at least a grade of C or above in maths, English language and a science.

This represents a five percent increase over the 561 students who achieved that mark last year.

At a press conference at the Ministry of Education yesterday, Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald added that the percentage of students who achieved grades between A and C in BGCSEs declined from 48.57 percent to 46.49 percent.

He said the highest percentage of any grade awarded was C at 26 percent.

“Last year, during the press release of the results, I indicated that we in the ministry were concerned about the performance of our students in BJC (Bahamas Junior Certificate) and BGCSE mathematics,” Fitzgerald said.

“This year, we are pleased to note the improved performance at both levels and sincerely hope that this trend continues.”

There were improvements recorded in 16 of the BGCSE subjects tested.

Those include book-keeping, accounts, clothing construction, electrical installation, English language, graphical communication, literature, music, physics, mechanics, combined science, commerce, French, religious studies, maths and office procedures.

Results in art and design scheme C remain unchanged from 2013.

Other subjects where there was a decline in performance include art and design scheme A, history, keyboarding skills, art and design scheme B, biology, carpentry and joinery, chemistry, economics, food and nutrition and Spanish.

In total, 922 students achieved a C grade or above in five or more BGCSE subjects, compared to the 996 students in the previous year, representing a 7.43 percent decrease.

In 2012, 947 achieved those grades; in 2011, 937; in 2010, 921; in 2009, 834 and in 2008, 824 students received those grades.

A total of 1,545 students earned a D grade or above in at least five subjects, compared to the 1,626 students in 2013.

This represents a 5.98 percent decrease.

There were 1,594 students who achieved this in 2012; 1,554 students in 2011 and 1,582 students in 2010.

There was a marginal increase in the percentage of G grades awarded, according to the statistics.

“I wish to admonish our students as they begin their 2014-2015 academic pursuits to continue to strive for excellence,” Fitzgerald said.

“Embrace the opportunities available to you. Hard work does pay off. The journey of a thousand miles certainly begins with a first step. With God’s help you can succeed.”

According to Fitzgerald, 6,789 candidates registered to sit the BGCSE exams, a decrease of 4.92 percent compared to the 7,117 candidates registered in 2013.

Asked about the reason for the near five percent decrease in participation this year, Education Director Lionel Sands said more students in grades 10 and 11 took BGCSE exams last year.

Regarding the BJCs, approximately 8,987 candidates registered to sit the exams.

The average for eight of the 10 BJC subjects improved when compared to 2013.

These subjects include art, craft study, general science, family and consumer science, maths, religious studies, social studies and technical drawing.

Results declined in English language and health science, according to the results.

Maths is the only subject that improved by a letter grade from E to D+, which is the best result in the last decade, according to Fitzgerald.

The letter grade for the other nine subjects remained unchanged.

 

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Gomez suggests opponents to bill insecure about their sexuality

The Nassau Guardian

Gomez suggests opponents to bill insecure about their sexuality

Minister of State for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez yesterday questioned if those people with concerns that the fourth constitutional amendment bill would pave the way for same-sex marriage, are harboring insecurities about their sexual orientation.

Gomez said the government has had no discussion about legalizing same-sex marriage in The Bahamas.

“All of a sudden the world seems to have been collapsing around us as people are clamoring about gays getting married,” he said during debate on four bills that seek to amend the constitution to bring about gender equality.

“Where is this coming from?

“Our law, as it presently stands, states quite clearly that marriage is an institution between a male and a female. We have not proposed to change that.

“We haven’t even dreamed it up.

“Yet it consumes so many people, and I wonder if they are harboring insecurities about their sexual positions, because this is a completely irrelevant political discussion.”

The fourth constitutional bill seeks to make it unconstitutional for any law or any person acting in the performance of any public office to discriminate based on sex.

Prime Minister Perry Christie has said this will not make same-sex marriages lawful.

Marco City MP Greg Moss said if the government was serious about eliminating any doubts about same-sex marriage, it could insert specific words in the constitution to outlaw it.

Rollins blasts Gomez
But Gomez said he is opposed to “specifically outlawing homosexual marriages as a constitutional matter”, arguing that there is an economic argument that the country must be aware of.

Gomez referenced Uganda’s outlawing of homosexuality.

He said that the United States imposed sanctions against that country.

“I say this as a very real threat that was posed to Uganda and, you know what, immediately after the sanctions were announced, the Ugandans took a position to rescind the amendment,” he said.

“But we don’t have that ability in our constitution and the expense and the time to rectify such damage would put us in a horrible economic situation.”

Before Gomez could finish, Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins shot to his feet on a point of order, challenging Gomez’s assertion.

“The member for South and Central Eleuthera is misleading the House, and he knows it,” Rollins charged.

“It is wrong. If he wishes he can elaborate on matters in relation to Uganda and their interest in outlawing homosexuality.”

He continued, “Now if you are intending to scare the Bahamian public, that is one thing, but at least be sincere in what you have to say because this should be a matter of educating the Bahamian public on the basis of truth and not on the basis of scare tactics.”

Gomez only responded that he did not misled the House.

The four bills seek to amend the constitution to bring about gender equality. Debate on the bills began last week.

A constitutional referendum is scheduled for November 6.

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New U.S. charge d’ affaires makes courtesy call on labor minister

The Nassau Guardian

New U.S. charge d’ affaires makes courtesy call on labor minister

The new charge d' affaires at the United States Embassy, Lisa Johnson, made a courtesy call on Minister of Labour, National Insurance and the Public Service Shane Gibson on Friday, July 25, 2014. While welcoming Johnson to The Bahamas, Gibson noted that the United States and The Bahamas have a lot in common. The two discussed a number of topics, including labor matters as well as new training opportunities for Bahamians.

Johnson noted that her key priorities will include citizens security for the United States and The Bahamas, the protection of American citizens, economics, trade investment and strengthening the already close ties which exist between the United States and The Bahamas, as well as education.

Johnson was accompanied by Neda Brown, acting deputy chief of mission at the United States Embassy. Also in attendance were Marco Rolle, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and National Insurance; Elizabeth Keju, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Public Service; Harcourt Brown, senior undersecretary in the Ministry of Labour and National Insurance, and Janice Miller, deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Public Service.

 

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Long road ahead for Sir Lynden Pindling Estates residents

The Nassau Guardian

Long road ahead for Sir Lynden Pindling Estates residents

Janet Munroe, a mother of five, has been living in Sir Lynden Estates for nearly 10 years.

Munroe, like hundreds of other residents in the area, is living on land that the Privy Council has ruled is owned by Arawak Homes.

The court last Tuesday upheld a Court of Appeal judgment, which affirmed Arawak Homes’ ownership of the property.

Last Wednesday, Arawak Homes President Franon Wilson said the company is giving residents in the area 12 months to sort out their property titles.

“It’s so disheartening,” Munroe said of the situation.

“I don’t know what is happening in this country, but it seems like there [are no rights] for the poor.

“It’s like you spend your money and no one is concerned, and no one cares.

“They want to throw people out after you have worked so long and hard for all of your investment to go down the drain.

“At my age now, 57, who is going to hire me to start all over again to talk about buying property?”

Munroe said shortly after she started living in the area in 2004, Arawak Homes approached her.

“Why should the people who have to pay mortgage, why should they lose?” she asked.

“Nobody is worrying about the poor. Instead of going forward, we are going backward.

“Right now, I already did what I was supposed to do. It’s not my concern or my fault that what happened legally happened.

“All I want to know is, what about the land that I own?”

Munroe said she got a mortgage for her home — located between Sadie Curtis Primary School and Cleveland Eneas Primary School off the Charles Saunders Highway — through the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation (BMC).

She said she purchased the property from someone else several years before that.

James Bootle, who has been living in the area for 14 years, told The Guardian that he did not purchase his home from Arawak Homes.

“I never was concerned about that because the lady who we (he and his wife) bought the property from, her father sold Arawak Homes some property,” he said.

“So I don’t know if I’m involved in that. She never said.

“If they come around and they ask me anything about it then I will check into the matter.”

But Bootle, like other residents, said he did not want to lose his home.

“You have to think about it now because you never know what will come down,” he said.

“If they come and check me out, I will just have to deal with it.”

 

Concern

Pastor Roy Burrows, head of Vision of Hope Church of God in Christ, said he has been trying to save the property where his church is located for years.

“We were here now for over eight years,” he said.

“We have had our challenges with Arawak Homes. They were saying that the property is theirs and we were saying it is ours.

“So we have been back and forth. We are praying that God will allow the church to remain at this place.”

His church is located directly off the Charles Saunders Highway.

When Arawak Homes demolished Canaan Baptist Church on Charles Saunders Highway in September 2009 over a similar issue, Burrows said he feared his church would be next.

He said luckily, that did not happen.

Burrows admitted that the church cannot afford to pay for the land again.

“At the end of the day this is our Bahamas and this is our country and I know Mr. [Franklyn] Wilson (chairman of Arawak Homes) and his team recognize that we need all of our churches, especially with the level of crime in this country,” he said.

“I believe that Mr. Wilson will, at the end of the day, see us to remain here. One thing I believe is he is an honest man who loves the Lord also.

“But who knows? Mr. Wilson may just say to Vision of Hope, ‘you don’t have to pay anything, just remain faithful to the Lord’. Who knows? He may just say that.”

Burrows said the church has seen its membership decline because of the land issue with Arawak Homes.

“It’s really been emotional,” he said.

“It’s been trying, but I feel like at the end of the day...Mr. Wilson will see us to remain here.”

O’Brian Daniels, who lives a few houses down from Bootle, said he is trying to work something out with Arawak Homes.

Daniels, who has been living in the area for 13 years, said when Arawak Homes approached him about the property issue a few years ago, there was not much he could do.

“We are just trying to make the best of it,” he said.

Daniels said his family cannot afford to pay for their home again.

“If you already paid for something once, you don’t want to pay for it twice,” said the father of two.

“We are working through our lawyers.”

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said he was living in the area for 21 years and Arawak Homes never approached him.

“Of course, given everything that’s happening, I’m concerned,” he said.

“I don’t want to lose my home.”

Seabreeze MP Hope Strachan yesterday offered her “sincere concern” to residents in the area.

“This is most unfortunate,” she said in a statement.

“However, please be assured that my prayers are with you and your families.

“I am actively monitoring this situation and I look forward to meeting with you very shortly in regard to this matter.”

Sir Lynden Pindling Estates, formerly Pinewood Gardens Phase II, encompasses land east of Buttonwood Avenue, south of Sequoia Street and extends east just before Beatrice Avenue.

 

 

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Christian Council president concerned about referendum

The Nassau Guardian

Christian Council president concerned about referendum

More than three months after he pledged he will not support another referendum, Bahamas Christian Council President Dr. Ranford Patterson said the constitutional amendment bills, particularly the fourth one, has “inspired” him to vote.

The bill he referred to seeks to make it unconstitutional for any law or any person acting in the performance of any public office to discriminate based on sex.

Patterson suggested the bill may pave the way for more than just eliminating discrimination against women.

“The questions I believe require that Bahamians participate, particularly that fourth question,” Patterson told The Nassau Guardian.

“We can start off by saying discrimination based on sex, but then what I did is Googled the United States Constitution as it relates to discrimination based on sex, and there is a whole lot of other stuff that is involved in that.

“If you look at the U.S. Constitution as it relates to [eliminating] discrimination based on sex, it is not just man and woman.

“It goes deeper than that.”

Following the government’s decision to ignore the result of the January 2013 gambling referendum, which was non-binding, Patterson said the government was setting a dangerous precedent.

At the time, he said he would not support the proposed constitutional referendum because it would be a waste of his time.

The majority of people who voted in the referendum last year voted against the regularization and taxation of web shops.

But Patterson said there is “no way in hell I will not let my voice be heard” in the referendum set for November 6 because of the importance of the issues.

He said everyone is equal and deserving of the same rights and he believes his colleagues share his view and support the first three bills.

He called on the government to clarify the fourth bill to ensure there is no underlining agenda.

“That is why it is so important for us to read the questions again, go over the questions again, and try to figure out what exactly we are trying to accomplish by the questions that are being asked of us,” Patterson said.

The government tabled four bills to amend the constitution last month.

The bills will institute full equality between men and women in matters of citizenship and will eliminate discrimination in The Bahamas based on sex.

Despite the government indicating that same-sex marriage is not legal and there is currently no intention of changing that, Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney said recently that the wording could lead to that.

He said the government should make the proposed amendments to the constitution simple.

Under the Matrimonial Causes Act, a marriage is void if “the parties are not respectively male and female”.

Last week, Erin Greene, a human rights activist, said she believes the fourth constitutional amendment bill will offer some form of protection to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

She said the bill is not a gay marriage bill, but there are protections that would be afforded to LGBT people if the bill is passed.

 

 

 

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Murderer released after 27 years

The Nassau Guardian

Murderer released after 27 years

A former policeman sentenced to death for the murder of 18-year-old Sherise Small was released from prison yesterday during a resentencing hearing.

Senior Justice Jon Isaacs balanced the scales of justice when he sentenced Dwight Henfield to time served as his fellow convicts Garnet Jones and Dereck Rolle, a former defence force marine, were freed on resentencing in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

Henfield, 48, spent 27 years in prison for the 1987 shooting death of Small, whom prosecutors contended was killed to cover up her rape.

Yesterday, Henfield’s attorney Sonia Timothy said the men shared “equal culpability and should get equal punishment. The others have been released and Henfield remains in prison.”

Timothy said, given the disparity, observers would “consider something is wrong with the administration of justice”.

She noted that Henfield had no previous convictions and he was remorseful about Small’s death.

Timothy pointed out that prison officials believed that Henfield was ready for release and had been rehabilitated.

In passing sentence, Isaacs told Henfield that he should have been put to death for his crime, but that sentence was no longer an option.

Following case law, Isaacs said that he would impose a similar sentence as that received by Henfield’s fellow convicts and sentenced him to 27 years with effect from July 1987.

Isaacs presided over the resentencing hearings of Jones and Rolle.

The Privy Council in 2006 struck down the mandatory death penalty, making it necessary for convicts sentenced to death prior to that decision to receive a lawful sentence.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Vernal Collie appeared for the Crown.

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Govt to meet with Haitian, TCI heads on Haitian migration

The Nassau Guardian

Govt to meet with Haitian, TCI heads on Haitian migration

With an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 undocumented Haitians living in The Bahamas, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said yesterday that the government will hold trilateral talks with Haitian President Michel Martelly and Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Governor Peter Beckingham.

Davis, who is the acting minister of foreign affairs, said the talks are part of the Christie administration’s thrust to get a handle on the issues involving Haitian migration.

During a preliminary meeting with Beckingham yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Davis noted that The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands are “prime targets for illegal migration from the south” because of their close proximity to the United States.

He revealed that the country will collaborate with Haiti and the TCI along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to prevent irregular migration.

“As part of this collaboration, The Bahamas intends to help facilitate a preliminary study to be conducted by the IOM on Haitian migration from the north coast of Haiti to The Bahamas and TCI.”

Davis said the findings of the study will help the government to construct future migration policies.

Beckingham said both the TCI and The Bahamas must unite to persuade Haiti officials to do more to prevent migration.

“Migration is costing human lives and it’s costing our government money,” Beckingham said. “So for those reasons and others we want to do more about it.

“…We believe that by meeting jointly with the government of Haiti there may be areas where we can insert some persuasion to encourage it to do more about the problem that it faces and we face jointly.

“I think that by showing Haiti that we are united in this enterprise and discussion, that we will underline the seriousness of the problem, and I hope that we can do something about it.”

Davis said he welcomes the opportunity to work with TCI officials on the issue.

“As neighbors of the TCI, The Bahamas recognizes the importance of cooperation in formulating an integrated response to combating irregular migration.”

Beckingham added that the TCI has formulated a number of measures to try and get a “tighter grip on the problem”.

Also at yesterday’s meeting were Immigration Director William Pratt and Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Commodore Roderick Bowe.

Martelly arrived in the country last night. He is expected to sign several bilateral agreements with Bahamian officials during his visit.

 

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Woman dies in house fire

The Nassau Guardian

Woman dies in house fire

The body of a woman was found burned beyond recognition in a home that caught on fire on Collins Avenue Thursday evening, police said.

However, family members at the scene identified her as Maud McCartney.

Police said they got a call around 6 p.m. informing them that the home was ablaze. Firefighters responded and extinguished the blaze and later found the body of a woman.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death, police said.

While police processed the scene, many family members and friends gathered and comforted each other.

Among them was Maud’s brother, Charles McCartney.

“We were a close knit family,” he said outside the scene on Thursday.

“I still can’t believe it’s happening. I kept saying, ‘Where is she?’

“I still can't come to terms with it. She had a pretty good life. It is a tragic situation. I never thought that something like that would happen.

“We’ve been asking her for years to move from here and get a condominium somewhere, because so many doctors have been behind her to sell this place, because you know, look at the address.

“At one point, she eventually agreed, and just last week my brother and myself said we were going to put it on the market again and she was a bit apprehensive.”

McCartney said his sister was very healthy and very independent.

Police are appealing to anyone with information regarding the incident to contact them at 919, 328-TIPS or 1-242-300-8476.

 

 

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Baha Mar presents ‘Buildings are People Too’

The Nassau Guardian

Baha Mar presents ‘Buildings are People Too’

The Current at Baha Mar is excited to present Buildings Are People Too, an exhibition by their first two artists-in-residence at The Current art studio, emerging artists Piaget Moss and Veronica Dorsett.

Buildings Are People Too is an art exhibit that explores ideas about the nature of construction, particularly as it relates to the hotels at Baha Mar.

“I think the thing to take away in this exhibition is a documentation of a certain time period,” said Veronica Dorsett. “Once the opening happens, people will see the shiny finished product, not the dirty gloves and nails and wood that got us here.”

“We want to present these fragments to people for them to consider when they think about this moment in history,” she explained. “I almost think of us like the Baha Mar archeologists, in a sense.”

Audiences are invited to explore the grandeur of buildings and the moments of life they cloak, hoping to promote discourse about the delicate and typically unseen elements of construction.

Juxtaposing portraits of the workers on the Baha Mar development site with salvaged material from the grounds itself, the exhibition explores notions behind the animation of development, the crossing and integration of cultures and the presence of individuals that cultivate exchanges and experiences throughout the construction process.

“I want people, Bahamians especially, to know that the building of this development is not as systematic as they think,” explained Piaget Moss. “I want them to understand these people and their immense individual lives are invested in our little country and want to build our economy.”

Two distinct bodies of work, stemming from separate perceptions — one made in response to experiencing the site from the inside and the other made exclusively from the perspective of an onlooker — will share a single space in The Glass Bridge, the first gallery opening to the public under The Current’s dynamic art program for Baha Mar.

The Current is the unifying force behind the collective art moments across Baha Mar, including a network of art spaces across the development with provocative programming.

The three art galleries under the umbrella of The Current will create special and sophisticated experiences of visual art for its guests as well as broaden opportunities for visibility for the thriving local art community.

Located in a spacious hallway space at the Melia hotel, The Glass Bridge will give viewers a look into creative practice within the contemporary art landscape. Focusing on contemporary, project-based exhibitions by emerging artists, this gallery will offer candid examinations of creative ebb and flow while also providing a significant platform for up-and-coming artists to present their work to a wider global audience.

“The Glass Bridge at the Melia is an amazing space for a full blown gallery, with traffic from people hailing from all parts of the world,” said Dorsett. “That is an unique and exciting opportunity. We hope it will generate a lot of conversations about art here in The Bahamas and act as a stepping stone for other art spaces and artists here in our country.”

Moss and Dorsett, both emerging artist from Grand Bahama who have studied art at The College of The Bahamas, worked exclusively in the temporary Current studio space for four weeks exploring their chosen subject matter through individual creative processes.

This first experience is helping The Current form a dynamic residency program offering both local and international artists a chance to work in the future studio space for significant periods of time towards groundbreaking exhibitions.

“We are entirely grateful to Baha Mar for this experience,” said Moss. “We love having this chance to be the archeologists — no one else will come into this project at this time and come away with the same thing that we have come away with from the site.

“I’ve never been in a residency with such great freedoms and trust. It’s been good for challenging my creative process.”

Buildings Are People Too opens Thursday, July 31 at 6 p.m. at The Melia on One Baha Mar Boulevard. The space is east of the Melia’s check-in counter. The event is free and open to the public.

For more about The Current, email art@bahamar.com.

 

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BEC meltdown

The Nassau Guardian

BEC meltdown

Less than one month after an island-wide blackout on New Providence angered many residents, the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) yesterday experienced another meltdown with significant portions of the island without electricity for most of the day.

BEC said two of its generators at the Blue Hills Power Station failed around 7:30 a.m.

The outage had a significant impact on residents and businesses across New Providence and on Paradise Island.

Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Atlantis Ed Fields said Atlantis experienced power outages in two of its towers.

Fields said one tower was out until 12 p.m. and the other was out until 4 p.m.

“It was not a good thing,” he said.

Fields said the only saving grace was that the outage happened during the day while guests were on the beach.

The corporation said 50 percent of its customers were impacted in “several communities”.

“BEC teams responded immediately and despite challenges in the restoration process, were able to restore supply to some of the affected customers by 11:15 a.m.,” BEC said.

“Ninety-nine percent of the customers impacted had their supply restored by 2 p.m.”

BEC said customers in eastern New Providence would continue to experience outages until technicians could fully restore power.

“In the meantime, an investigation into the cause of the outages will be completed; however, immediate efforts are focused on restoring electricity to affected communities,” the corporation said.

“BEC sincerely apologizes to its customers impacted by the outages and ensures them that despite intermittent challenges with its generation and/or distribution networks, it remains committed to providing a reliable source of electricity across the archipelago.”

While the corporation pledged to investigate yesterday’s power outage it has not yet informed the public about the outcome of an investigation into a July 3 island-wide blackout.

As BEC officials worked to fully restore power to sections of New Providence yesterday, several irate residents and business owners told The Guardian they were tired of BEC.

Golden Gates resident Tanya Cash said her family of seven was suffering.

“I refer to BEC right now sir as a national disgrace,” Cash said.

“BEC is a total disgrace and no matter what the executive chairman is going to say...he doesn’t mean it. Enough is enough. We have had it.

“We have been here this morning in the sweltering heat from 7:30 a.m.

“We cannot get any accounting from BEC.

“BEC comes up with some flimsy excuse all the time about the station or the power generation or whatever going down.

Lost

Business owner Joey Duncombe said the outages were disheartening and cost her revenue.

Duncombe, who owns Joey’s Personal Touch Beauty Salon on Prince Charles Drive, said she watched the money walk out her door yesterday.

“It is very disheartening and discouraging because at the end of the month BEC wants their money and if they don’t get their money they will cut you off,” Duncombe said.

“In order to pay that bill you have to make the money though.”

She said she does not understand why BEC keeps suffering from the same problems every year.

“This is the storyline that we get every year around this same time,” she said.

Duran Thompson, owner of Bahamas Woodworking Studio on Jerome and Chesapeake Avenues, said his team lost an entire day of productivity.

“I have lost thousands of dollars today,” Thompson said.

“Who is going to pay me back?”

Many people took to social media to express outrage over the outages as well.

One user said, “Is BEC torturing us today? Man come on, I woke up sweating. And now they cut it off again to make this already hot day hotter.”

 

 

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FNM calls for transparency in BEC deal

The Nassau Guardian

FNM calls for transparency in BEC deal

Former Minister of State for the Environment Phenton Neymour yesterday slammed the government over what he called a complete lack of transparency and repeated delays over the Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s (BEC) restructuring.

Neymour said despite the government’s promise to make public all details related to those plans, the government has failed to fulfill its promise and has ignored the repeated calls from the opposition for transparency.

“We believe that energy reform should be disclosed prior to the bidding for privatization, because this level of uncertainty creates a situation in which bidders may not give us the best price,” he said in the parking lot of BEC's headquarters on Baillou Hill Road.

Since Prime Minister Perry Christie announced plans for companies to take over the management, power generation and transmission of BEC in August 2013, the deadline for the completion of that deal has been pushed back numerous times.

Christie originally said the contracts would be signed by the end of 2013.

Last November, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, who has ministerial responsibility for BEC, said he expected the contracts to be signed in January 2014.

Since January, the finalization date has been pushed back several more times.

When asked about the process and when the contracts will be concluded, Davis has responded on more than one occasion “within two to three weeks”.

Earlier this month, Davis defended delays in the restructuring process and said while Cabinet has had a “busy schedule” as the government is dealing with other “important issues”, the overhaul of the energy sector will be advanced “hopefully within another two to three weeks”.

Neymour said more consideration should be given to Bahamian companies, although Davis previously said no Bahamian companies placed bids.

“We feel that the sale of BEC’s power generation should not be offered to one foreign entity, as it is not in the interest of the Bahamian people,” he said.

According to Davis, three companies remain in the running to become part of the overhaul of BEC.

While those companies have not been made public, it has been confirmed that U.S.-based PowerSecure is among them.

Many have speculated that PowerSecure is the preferred company, as the firm was recently contracted to assist BEC troubleshoot infrastructural problems following an island-wide blackout.

Neymour said while the FNM supports BEC’s restructuring, it cannot support the way the government is going about the process, which has left all Bahamians “in the dark”.

“BEC must be reformed,” he said. “The FNM government previously stated and is still on the position that BEC has to be privatized.

“We are also of the position that the existing legislation is inadequate. It is more than 60 years old and has to be reformed.

“The problem is it is very complex and it will affect every agency in this country.”

 

 

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Wells and govt quiet on resignation issue

The Nassau Guardian

Wells and govt quiet on resignation issue

The fate of Parliamentary Secretary Renward Wells remained unclear yesterday as the embattled Bamboo Town MP refused to reveal whether he would resign over claims that he acted outside of his authority.

The government has also remained silent on the issue.

As previously reported, The Nassau Guardian confirmed that Prime Minister Perry Christie asked Wells to resign as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Works for signing a letter of intent for a $600 million-plus waste-to-energy plant at the New Providence landfill without Cabinet instructions.

Wells was expected to make a statement in the House of Assembly yesterday, but he remained quiet throughout the proceedings.

Wells’ wife and several constituents sat in the gallery of the House, but several of them left before it suspended.

When The Nassau Guardian attempted to interview Wells outside the House, he declined to speak on the issue. Asked if he intended to address the matter in Parliament, Wells said ‘No’ before walking away.

Wells signed the document with Stellar Waste To Energy Bahamas Limited (SWTEB).

By signing the document, Wells acted above his pay grade, sources said.

When asked for an update on the controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said on Monday that he still needed to determine whether Wells did anything wrong.

“From all accounts there ought to be concern, but the question is whether he did anything wrong, or whether he did anything that in any way is contrary to established protocols,” Davis said.

Davis told The Nassau Guardian in an earlier interview that Wells did not have the authority to sign the letter of intent.

Wells previously confirmed that he was prepared to resign, if it would mean protecting the integrity of the Westminster system he swore to uphold.

The letter of intent stated that it was signed on July 4 by SWTEB Principal Dr. Fabrizio Zanaboni and Wells, former chairman of the National Energy Task Force.

According to the letter of intent, SWTEB aims to construct a fully self-funded waste-to-energy plant at the landfill that would burn garbage in order to produce up to 70 to 80 megawatts of power, around 29 to 33 percent of New Providence’s total power demand.

It would involve the project developer putting up 100 percent of the cost of the development of the facility, which would take two years to construct.

 

 

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Three die in separate traffic accidents

The Nassau Guardian

Three die in separate traffic accidents

Police said three men died in separate traffic fatalities over the weekend.

The first accident happened in North Eleuthera on Saturday around 5 a.m.

Police said a man was driving a white Nissan taxi east on the airport road when he hit a man walking in the road.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second incident happened in New Providence on Sunday around 4 a.m.

Police said a woman was driving a white Honda Civic on Bethel Avenue when she lost control of the car and hit a utility pole. Police said the car then careened a few feet along a cliff before coming to a stop.

Her passenger, a man, died at the scene.

The woman was transported to hospital, where she was last listed in serious condition.

The latest incident happened around 8:49 p.m. last night near the Quakoo Street police station on Market Street. Details were sketchy up to press time, but police said a man died after a traffic accident near the police station.

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Debate delayed on referendum bills

The Nassau Guardian

Debate delayed on referendum bills

Debate on the Bahamas Constitutional Amendment Bills was delayed in the House of Assembly yesterday after Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis indicated that the opposition needed more time to properly educate itself and its supporters on the matter.

“This is a constitutional matter that we must deal with,” said Minnis in the House of Assembly.

“And as you know, the constitution is the heart and soul of our country.

“Therefore, the opposition would like additional time to review and discuss the matter…so that there is a proper understanding among its constituents, proper understanding among supporters and proper understanding, especially, among all Bahamian women and men at large so that they can understand exactly what this equality bill is all about.”

The bills were tabled last week and debate was expected to begin yesterday.

The passing of the bills will pave the way for a referendum that will focus on gender equality. The referendum, which is scheduled for November 6, will follow an “extensive educational process”.

Minnis said he supports the bills and will seek to move forward “as quickly as possible”.

“No one can debate the fact that the women in this country have fought for a long time,” he said.

“In fact, they fought through the women’s suffrage movement and, Mr. Speaker, today women still suffer in terms of equality. I know what the female population goes through, coming from a single parent background.

“…I would be the first to agree that we should have equality for women.”

Leader of Government Business in the House of Assembly Dr. Bernard Nottage said the government supports the opposition members’ move to educate themselves on the issues.

“We got the impression that there was unanimity of support for the bills and if there are questions, we are fully supportive of giving time for that to take place,” Nottage said.

“…I think it would be useful for the opposition and ourselves to get together during the course of this week, so that we can fully understand what their concerns are and they can fully understand what our desire is.”

Nottage said he hoped to wrap up debate on the constitution bills by next week. However, it is unclear if that is still possible.

The House was suspended until next Wednesday.

Following the suspension, Prime Minister Perry Christie told reporters that he wants the opposition to have as much access to information on the referendum as the government does.

“I think that it is good because the Constitutional Commission can take the opportunity to address the leadership of the FNM, as they should the leadership of the PLP, because part of their job is public education,” Christie said.

“There ought to be no difference at all between the parties with respect to this matter, and the only way a referendum will take place is if we are united.”

Minnis also said there must be unity in order for the referendum to succeed.

 

 

 

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