By: Candia Dames


Prime Minister Perry Christie’s recent statement in support of the death penalty has renewed debate on capital punishment, but a Bahama Journal study shows that many of the men on death row at Her Majesty’s Prison will never hang because they have been under the sentence of death for more than five years.

In fact, a half of the nearly 30 men on death row have been there longer than that period. The Privy Council has established that it would be cruel and inhumane to execute anyone who has been under the sentence of death for five years or more.

But while the families of these men have reportedly been pushing for their sentences to be commuted, the government has made no announcements in that regard.

Last Thursday, the prime minister made it clear that he fully supports hangings.

That comment drew reactions during the Free National Movement rally in Salt Pond, Long Island a day later with FNM Leader Hubert Ingraham accusing him of jumping on "the hanging bandwagon."

"The hanging bandwagon is rolling and Mr. Christie just wants to get onboard," Mr. Ingraham said.

"He knows he is in trouble so he will jump on any bandwagon he thinks will get him some votes."

Speaking at the funeral of slain prison officer, Dion Bowles, Prime Minister Christie said he was in favour of capital punishment and he said he would be willing to fight those who oppose it.

"I am not in agreement with those who say capital punishment should not be in place," said Mr. Christie at the service at the Church of God Auditorium on Joe Farrington Road. "I am personally for capital punishment."

He added, "Prime ministers don’t go around saying things like that, but I want to tell you all that and plenty people do not agree. That is what I believe and as long as I’m prime minister the brothers and sisters who don’t believe it I will fight with them."

At the FNM rally, Mr. Ingraham told the crowd, "Don’t wait for them to hang anybody. This is a shameless case of mouthing what some people want to hear – pure pandering, nothing more."

It was also a point former party chairman, Carl Bethel, made when he addressed the crowd.

He said Prime Minister Christie’s statement was another sign that the PLP government is a "fell good, flim flam" government.

"It seems that they will say anything just to make you feel good for just that moment in time," Mr. Bethel said. "While crime is almost out of control in Nassau and the government seems powerless to stem the tide, all they do is make pretty speeches."

He said that in PLP Cabinet, there are at least three cabinet ministers who are abolitionists, and who are opposed to capital punishment.

"The Attorney General Alfred Sears, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell, have in the past expressed opposition to the death penalty, and the last time that anyone was hanged in The Bahamas, the Minister of Transport, Glenys Hanna-Martin, was leading the demonstration against the carrying out of the law, at the barricades, outside Fox Hill Prison," Mr. Bethel said.

"So if the prime minister wants to fight someone over capital punishment, he needs to start with is own cabinet, but the man was only flamming the people, saying what he felt that people wanted to hear, on the spur of the moment because he wanted to make you feel good."

Mr. Bethel said that if the prime minister wants capital punishment he would have to bring some laws to parliament and to do that he would need the support of his cabinet.

"He is not likely to get their undivided support and at the end of the day the PLP will continue to do what they always do: talk loud and do nothing," he said.

There hasn’t been a hanging in The Bahamas since David Mitchell met his fate at the gallows on January 6, 2000.

The Bahamas hanged 50 men since 1929, according to records kept at Her Majesty’s Prison. Five of them were hanged under the Ingraham administration; 13 were hanged under the 25-year rule of the Pindling government; and the remainder were executed between 1929 and 1967.

Attorney General Alfred Sears has explained that the question of the death penalty cannot be addressed in The Bahamas until the Privy Council in London announces a decision on an appeal filed by two men at Her Majesty’s Prison challenging the mandatory death sentence.

The Privy Council heard the case last month.

30 January 2006

By: Candia Dames


The Free National Movement is set to pick up another seat in the House of Assembly now that Independent Member of Parliament for Long Island Larry Cartwright has decided to officially join the party.

It would bring the number of seats held by the FNM in the House of Assembly to eight.

Mr. Cartwright confirmed his intention on Sunday in an interview with The Bahama Journal.

"Basically, I’m elected as the servant of the people and I’m prepared to go where the people want me," he said.

Mr. Cartwright’s decision came after he held a vote among his constituents to learn whether they wished him to join the FNM.

He said that while he did not have the results on hand on Sunday, just under 300 people voted overwhelming for him to join the party.

Mr. Cartwright, who was a headmaster of a Long Island public school, is no stranger to the FNM.

Between 1999 and 2001, he served as the secretary of the FNM’s Long Island branch and was a strong supporter of then MP Jimmy Knowles. But following Mr. Knowles’ decision to run again in the 2002 election, Mr. Cartwright decided to run as an Independent.

He became one of four Independents elected to parliament that year – the greatest number ever.

Following his re-election to the Free National Movement during the party’s national convention in November, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced that he was going after Mr. Cartwright.

That announcement apparently set the wheels in motion for Mr. Cartwright’s return to the FNM.

Mr. Ingraham is expected to attempt to electrify the crowd when he holds a rally on Long Island on Friday, and will likely present Mr. Cartwright as the newest member of the FNM team.

Asked on Sunday whether he plans to attend the FNM rally, Mr. Cartwright said, "most definitely."

Long Island has traditionally been an FNM stronghold and Mr. Ingraham appears determined to cement it as FNM territory as he intensifies his campaign leading to the next general election.

Since Mr. Ingraham’s return, many Long Islanders see the FNM as a stronger force and have been pushing for Mr. Cartwright to return to the Free National Movement.

Mr. Cartwright told The Bahama Journal several times after the FNM convention that he was giving the matter deliberate consideration and would only make the move if he was satisfied that the majority of his constituents wished him to.

His return to the FNM means that there will now be three Independents in the House of Assembly: South Andros MP Whitney Bastian; St. Margaret MP Pierre Dupuch; and Bamboo Town MP Tennyson Wells, who said on Sunday that both he and Mr. Cartwright are "FNMs at heart."

"I thought the best thing for him was to remain as an independent," Mr. Wells said. "He gave me the impression that he would have remained. He has been effective as an Independent getting things done for Long Island."

Mr. Wells said if the PLP remains in power, Mr. Cartwright would likely remain effective as an Independent. He said if the FNM is re-elected, Mr. Cartwright would probably still be effective because FNMs would know that he is a true FNM.

But he said Mr. Cartwright’s return to the FNM would also ensure his return to parliament.

The Long Island MP told The Bahama Journal that he plans to make a formal statement this week.

23 Jan 2006

By: Candia Dames

26 January 2006

Patricia Cash, a Fox Hill grandmother who tries to keep up to date on local news happenings, said on Wednesday she’s proceeding with a little more caution these days.

That’s because police still have not been able to recapture Corey Hepburn, the only prisoner who was able to make a clean break from Her Majesty’s Prison during the daring execution of an escape plot last week Tuesday.

"I’m afraid because I have a grandchild and I have to walk to pick him up from school, so I’m careful," said Ms. Cash, who said she lives in a small house with one door and double checks a little more often now to make sure it is locked.

She’s among some residents – particularly those in the east – who are feeling jittery over the fact that Hepburn, a convicted armed robber now wanted for murder, remains on the loose.

Her fears are worsened by the fact that the Fox Hill community is only a stone’s throw away from Her Majesty’s Prison and police continue to remind that Hepburn frequented eastern neighbourhoods prior to being jailed for armed robbery.

Through one of the small corners in Fox Hill where everyone knows each other, Oswald and Faith Knowles – who said they have been married so long they’ve lost count of the years – said on Wednesday they are not living in fear, but they can’t help but wonder whether Hepburn is hiding out somewhere near.

"I keep my place locked. I don’t think he’d come in here. If he comes in here, I don’t believe he’d get out," Mr. Knowles said with a chuckle.

His wife shared that view.

"If he comes in here, he [isn’t] coming out alive," she said with a greater degree of seriousness than Mr. Knowles.

Mr. Knowles said it appears that police patrols have increased in the area and it makes him feel a little more comfortable.

Michael Thompson, another Fox Hill resident, said when night falls, "everyone is on the down low".

But he said Hepburn is probably also on the "down low" and probably more interested in getting off the island than bothering residents.

Mr. Thompson also spoke about increased police patrols and he believes that the fugitive is smart enough to know to leave the eastern end of New Providence.

But he said, "Residents are proceeding with caution and care; they’re looking out. If anybody spots him they’ll call the police, but he’s not going to come out in public."

A week after a prison officer and a murder convict were killed in the violent break, the incident remains a hot issue for discussion in the community.

One man, who said he spent two years at Her Majesty’s Prison, knows the conditions that would prompt inmates to mount escapes. But his comment drew an emotive response from another Fox Hill man, who said he had no pity for criminals who terrorize communities.

"They must pay the penalty for what they do," the man said.

Norman Davis, another resident who also spoke with The Bahama Journal on how residents are responding to news that the prisoner remains on the loose, said he hopes that some action is taken to deal with prison officers who may have been involved in the incident.

"If you see [Hepburn], you can only do what is best and tell the police," Mr. Davis said. "But we want to know how he got out in the first place. We have to look at what they’re doing up there (at the prison) before we look at what we’re doing down here (in the community) because everything that goes through the prison is checked, even right down to toothpaste, bread, everything.

"So how are [the prisoners] getting the stuff to file the bars? The only people who don’t get checked are the officers."

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Cynthia Pratt reported shortly after the prison incident that four prisoners had escaped their cells by filing down the bars. She promised an inquiry into the matter.

On Tuesday, one week after the incident, police announced that they were offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Hepburn’s arrest.

The people who spoke with The Bahama Journal on Wednesday, however, said while they would love to claim that reward, they had absolutely no information on Hepburn that could assist police.

Police, meanwhile, promised that the passing of time would not water down the intensity of their search. They said they hope to recapture Hepburn as soon as possible.

For many New Providence residents, his return to prison can’t come soon enough.

"We need him back behind bars so we could all sleep a little more soundly," one woman said.

By: Candia Dames

24 January 2006

Chairman of The Grand Bahama Port Authority Julian Francis yesterday said the government needs to extend the benefits of the Hawskbill Creek Agreement and he suggested that generally there is too much micromanaging on the part of the government.

"The government, I would hope, can be persuaded that it is in the interest of the entire Bahamas, in the interest of Bahamian businesses, in the broad interest of the Bahamian people, to see Freeport and the wider Grand Bahama Island develop as rapidly as it can," said Mr. Francis, who added that Grand Bahama today, if it had the housing stock, could with its present infrastructure support the entire Bahamian population.

"That is the scope of opportunity that we’re talking about."

In its 2002 campaign document, "Our Plan", the government in fact promises to extend the benefits enjoyed by businesses in Freeport to areas outside the port area as an encouragement to greater development and investment by Bahamians and foreigners alike.

Addressing the 2006 Bahamas Business Outlook Seminar at the Wyndham Nassau Resort, Mr. Francis said Grand Bahama can be the example of the kind of success The Bahamas can enjoy.

"We are just far too smug as a community and the truth is…we are losing our comparative position in the world economy…We continue to be focused or to be pre-occupied in The Bahamas with the trappings of development, but we don’t seem to be willing to take on the issues of development very seriously."

He said The Bahamas has a great opportunity to be a shining example of social and economic progress in this part of the world, but has not stepped up the challenge.

In concrete terms, Mr. Francis said this would mean having one of the most successful economies in the world.

"We consider very nominal successes as being the real accomplishment that we should seek to aim for and not the substance of success. It distresses me a great deal when I think about it as a Bahamian," said Mr. Francis, who added that this is one of the reasons why he is delighted that he relocated to Freeport.

"I see it as an opportunity to take charge of your own destiny and to do things, which in the wider Bahamas we haven’t been able to do. I believe that this is what Freeport really represents for The Bahamas.

"It represents an opportunity to unleash the power and the dynamism of the private sector without the shackles of bureaucracy and public policy generally and those other issues that have not worked to be able to forge ahead in accordance with this private experiment."

The Port Authority Chairman said in the context of a serious programme for development of The Bahamas it would be criminal not to take advantage of the development that has taken place in Freeport over the last 50 years.

He also said that generally, The Bahamas has not been serious enough about instituting the kinds of reforms that would help the country experience more meaningful growth and development.

"I haven’t seen any real evidence that The Bahamas is reform-minded and in fact the evidence to me suggests that just the contrary is true," Mr. Francis said. "We have a bloated public service; we have unions which are always on the increase and stronger and stronger and it just seems to me that we have not been willing to take advantage of so many opportunities which are available to a small, potentially dynamic country.

"We can’t protect our country by putting up barriers, by creating stronger labour unions which try to provide some semblance of work protection and things like that. That is not the solution, nor is it the solution that we construct all of these social arrangements intended ostensibly to protect a large number of people, but in fact what we’re doing is removing any incentive for people to be productive."

Mr. Francis also said he wondered what it would take "to cause us, as it were, to awaken from this sleep."

By: Candia Dames

24 January 2006

Public debt in the near term will likely increase before it decreases because the government will have to spend money to put in place infrastructure to support a growing economy, Minister of State for Finance James Smith said on Monday.

"We are likely to witness in government financing over the next few years what the economists call a J-curve effect in terms of the deficit," said Minister Smith, who was addressing the annual Bahamas Business Outlook Seminar at the Wyndham Nassau Resort.

"If we are to do the counterpart funding for Atlantis or for Baha Mar, the corporations and the government are going to have to spend some huge sums, sums that may not be available from local resources so we may even have to borrow. So you’ll see, I think, an expansion in the level of government debt that would later on, I believe, begin to adjust itself."

The Central Bank of The Bahamas reported recently that the National Debt now stands at around $2.7 billion.

"The government has been involved in a sustained effort to provide more resources to meet the growing public sector demand for improved health and education services; the need for heightened and more efficient security services; the expansion of social welfare and youth programmes as well as the provision of new and improved infrastructure facilities," Minister Smith said.

"More importantly, the overall strategic development plan for The Bahamas appears to be unfolding as it should."

He noted that there are currently underway, multimillion-dollar projects throughout the country.

Minister Smith said this is the time to seize the opportunities that are becoming available and to consolidate any gains by re-investing in the Bahamian economy as opposed to over-expending in consumption.

"Our major macroeconomic indicators over the past year are, for the most part, reflecting favourable positive trends," he said.

"Major foreign direct investment projects are in various stages of implementation and if brought fully to fruition, we could expect expanded opportunities for growth and employment in the local economy for years to come."

Noting that for the second consecutive year, The Bahamas experienced moderate growth in the local economy, Minister smith said it would appear that the country may be entering a period of sustained growth and development which could only be under-girded by the expected continued growth in the U.S. economy and the continuation of the low inflationary rate of 2 percent in The Bahamas.

He said that the economic outlook in the near term is heavily dependent upon the performance of the U.S. economy on the one hand, and the absence of any global catastrophes and or natural disasters on the other.

The minister also reported that the tourism sector recovered quickly following hurricanes Frances, Jeanne and Wilma and he said that arrivals in 2005 were 2.1 percent above 2004, when the country hit the five-million visitor mark.

"We could expect more gains to our tourism sector in the near future as a result of upbeat projects for the United States economy," Minister Smith.

"It should also be noted that the stabilization of oil prices could mean that there would be no need for further downward adjustments in the global tourist market."

Over the medium-term, he said there is expected to be an increase in the stock of hotel rooms, more diversity to the tourism product and more effective marketing of The Bahamas as the destination of choice for the value-conscious traveler.

"In the absence of any natural or man-made disasters, we could look forward to healthy increases in both stopover and cruise ship visitors throughout 2006," he said.

Pointing to the seminar’s theme "Creating Successful Public and Private Partnerships", Minister Smith said in order to remain competitive, the country would need increased collaboration between the government and the private sector.

"We are acutely aware that one of our main challenges going forward is how to maintain a leadership position in the face of the creeping globalization movement which is insisting on the move to freer markets; the transformation of digital economies; and the reduction of constraints on the movement of both capital and labour," he said.