Friday, December 28, 2012

Christie is late again

Christie is late again

If my memory serves me correctly, the phrase late again was made popular by the Rt. Honorable Hubert Ingraham during the 2007 election season while referring to then Prime Minister Perry Christie. Christie lost the general election in 2007 and has since been the object of many discussions in the house of assembly because of his apparent inability to get things done in a timely manner.

Ingraham sought to convince the public that Christie was the same old person in 2012 that he was in 2007. The public did not believe Ingraham and voted him and the Free National Movement (FNM) out of office this time around. They believed Christie when he said that he was a new man and that he had learned from past mistakes.

To earn the nickname “late again” is no small feat as there had to be a collection of decisions or projects where this characteristic manifested itself. For the years 2002-2007 Christie did all in his power it seems to earn this name. From the mishandling of the many scandals during his first term as prime minister where he apparently was satisfied with letting things play out, to the now gambling referendum and the National Insurance Board (NIB) fiasco, it seems as if Christie is back to his old ways.

The opinion poll/referendum on gambling has clearly been botched. The date was postponed from December 3rd, 2012 to January 28th, 2013 and you guessed it the referendum questions are somewhere in cyber space. But Christie said that he met with four pastors last week and only they know the questions. These pastors are indeed blessed; or are they? Christie in the same interview said that the Bahamian people know what the referendum questions are. He seems to be disengaged from this issue and appears to have contradicted himself.

It is now January 27th, 2012 and I haven’t heard one news station or news paper release this data. In fact, I haven’t even seen the questions in any of the tabloids. There is no evidence that the cabinet has met to discuss what the referendum questions will be. When will the public education that was promised by Christie’s government commence? If the referendum questions were released today, the Bahamian electorate would only have four weeks to contemplate their position on this issue. But is this enough time? I certainly don’t think so.

Maybe the prime minister does not feel a sense of urgency because he has truly convinced himself that the populace already knows the questions. Maybe he might postpone the referendum again.

I indubitably state that our dear prime minister is yet late again and he needs to start executing his plans as opposed to just chattering about them.

Dehavilland Moss

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