Abuse of the Emergency Powers Act

Dear Editor,

The Emergency Powers Act and regulations thereunder are being abused by the prime minister in his role as the competent authority.

The sweeping and draconian powers have, clearly, gone to Dr. Minnis’ head, politically.

It was envisaged that no more than six months, at any given time, would have been ample to deal effectively with a state of emergency.

We suspect that the ongoing and debilitating pandemic is not a real state of emergency but rather a medical and health issue.

It has been opined by some half-baked legal personalities that simple legislation could be deployed to deal with those issues as opposed to the continued ruling by decree.

We’ve looked in the mirror and we are looking more and more like our Haitian brothers and sisters over in Haiti where the president has been ruling by decree for several months.

Haiti is a broken state. The Bahamas is not.

There was much talk and threats by several notable lawyers about challenging the constitutionality and legal basis for the Emergency Powers Act, et al, but that is all it would appear to have been – loose talk and bogus threats.

We are now in the third or fourth incarnation of the Emergency Powers Act and not a single court ruling. This is baffling.

Were the lawyers only seeking brownie points and publicity as they jockey for political nominations?

In any event, Dr. Minnis is abusing and playing the system, in my view.

He and the crumbling FNM will pay a heavy price at the polls in short order.

Too much pain and economic suffering have been inflicted, with a heavy hand, on our people. Enough is enough.

The PLP and Brave may as well start preparing to recapture the government of this wonderful nation within the next year or so.

While sidewalks are great, we need and demand a government of accountability; fiscal restraints; transparency; and, of course, empathy with the governed.

To God then, in all things, be the glory.

– Ortland H. Bodie Jr.

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