Prime Minister Perry Christie is getting set to repay the mafia kingpins who run the illegal numbers racket for their generous contributions to his campaign.
During a Communication to the House of Assembly August 15, Mr Christie confirmed that the Government will put the gambling referendum ahead of all other government business, including correcting the discrimination against women and other seemingly unimportant pieces of legislation.
The referendum on the issue of a national lottery and/or web cafes is one of the only commitments from its Charter for Governance that the PLP intends to honour.
“I wish to confirm that it is my Government’s intention to proceed with a referendum on the issue of a national lottery and/or web cafes as soon as practicable following the anticipated by-election in North Abaco later this year,” the Prime Minister said.
The referendum will seek to ascertain whether a national lottery should be instituted and or whether the popular web cafes or web shops be legalised, regulated, licensed and taxed.
Mr Christie apparently agrees with Baha Mar’s Robert Sands, that Bahamians are too “uncivilised” to conduct themselves properly in local casinos, as he has stressed that the soon to be called referendum on gambling will not extend to casinos.
“The referendum will not extend to any other forms of gambling. In particular, it will not extend to any question as to whether Bahamians should be permitted to engage in casino gaming.
“This will not be an issue in the forthcoming referendum nor, incidentally, was it ever promised that it would be,” the Prime Minister said.
He also reiterated that the Government would maintain a position of complete neutrality on the referendum issues, aside from all the previous campaign rhetoric, and the fact that his government has pushed this to the forefront of their agenda.
“We will not campaign for, nor will we encourage the adoption of, either a yes or no position on any of the referendum issues.”
At least not in public.
When the PLP campaigned to defeat the 2002 referendum to eliminiate the discrimination against women, one of the reasons they did so was because they felt that there was not enough “education and public debate” on the issue. As if equality, something Bahamians fully understand and have fought for in the past, needed more education and debate.
This time, the PLP, now the government, say they will actively encourage the widest possible public discussion of the referendum issues to ensure that all points of view on the issues can be heard, read about, and considered by the electorate before voting, the Prime Minister said.
They intend to do this in 30 days, a time period that was unacceptable to them for debate and education in the 2002 referendum.
The Prime Minister said that a period of at least 30 days will elapse between the calling of the referendum and the actual voting day, so as to allow for a thorough public discussion on the issues.
The process will be held like that of a general election – involving the same machinery including using the voter’s registration list, costing Bahamian taxpayers a bundle at a time when they can least afford it.
There will be no need to register again – except for those who were not eligible to vote in the May 7, 2012 general election.
New eligible voters will have to register at least 10 days prior to the date fixed for the referendum; this is specifically provided for in the Constitutional Referendum Act.
Many people, including those in the gambling industry, have pointed out that there is really no need for a referendum. However, PLP government legislators intend to hide behind the referendum rather than take responsibility for going against the wishes of church leaders.
“Once the will of the Bahamian electorate has been expressed and the results of the referendum have become known, the Government will make the appropriate announcements as to the way forward,” the Prime Minister said.
Legalizing the numbers industry is a top prioroty for the PLP, as Mr Christie’s financial backers (aka “bosses”) in the numbers mafia have allegedly ordered him to “take care of this” immediately.
