PLP PRESS STATEMENT: The Progressive Liberal Party, Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, joins all caring Bahamians, who like us, continue to be gravely concerned about the growing trend of naked and brazen attacks upon important State institutions and the record number of murders which are being perpetrated by lawless elements in our society. The PLP is also deeply concerned about the apparent inability and incompetence of the FNM to curtail and prevent crime.

The recent attack upon the Local Government Office in Acklins and upon the Administrator and his family is the latest attack upon the State.  The theft of copper wire from key communications agencies thereby affecting the ability of Bahamians to communicate with each other all over The Bahamas is another bold-faced attack upon the State.  It is shocking that the persons who perpetrated this brazen attack have not yet been tried. The persons who launched this attack join the persons who broke into the Supreme and the Magistrates’ Courts and the persons who broke into the Passport Office - none of whom has been tried.  The persons who broke into First Caribbean Bank have not yet been tried.  Those persons who shot at the home of a police witness have not yet been charged. Persons who intimidate witnesses continue to roam the streets. Persons who attack Judges have not yet been tried. Persons out on bail roam the streets without wearing the electronic ankle bracelets promised by this all talk and no action the FNM Government. In May 2007, the PLP left in place everything to launch this crime fighting initiative.

The FNM Government continues to give criminals the message that crime pays and that they can get away with their bold antics.  The FNM Government is demonstrating, in the face of this serious crisis gripping the nation, that it is inept, paralyzed and afraid.  Without shame, the FNM Government is cowering in fear and leaving Bahamian residents and visitors to fend for themselves.

The FNM Government is also participating in the shameless attack on the State. The FNM Government continues to break the law by its failure to conduct the salary review for Judges as is required by the Judges Remuneration and Pensions Act. The Prime Minister is yet to lay before the House of Assembly for its approval the report of the Commission that is alleged to have enquired into “the adequacy of the salaries, allowances and pensions…and the adequacy of Judges’ benefits generally…”. We call upon the Attorney General to advise the Government to obey the law.

The PLP and all caring Bahamians rely on the Judgment of the Honourable Mr. Justice John Lyons who said that by failing to conduct the said review and table the said Report, the government deliberately ignored a law designed to protect the constitutional independence of our hard working Supreme Court Judges, “that body of persons whose task is to protect all persons in the Bahamas against abuses of their constitutional rights”. As Justice Lyons said, “If this was a deliberate act by the Cabinet then — and there is no dull edge to this — this must be considered a deliberate attack on the independence of the judiciary. And that, in turn, is an attack on the fundamental constitutional right enjoyed by all persons in this country”.

The PLP and all caring Bahamians rely on the words of the President of the Court of Appeal, who asked, “when you destroy the public’s faith in the independence of the judiciary, to which court do you take your case?”

The FNM Government has proven by its own actions that if it cared to conduct a salary review for Supreme Court Judges, even during these tough economic times, it could. The FNM Government has awarded a contract to the new DPP whereby the holder of that position gets cash benefits of $130,000. This contractual sum is more that is paid to every Supreme Court Justice except the Chief Justice. The PLP believes that this anomaly sends the wrong message to criminals and it must be corrected immediately. The PLP says that the Report of the Commission must be tabled for Parliament’s approval forthwith. We ask, if the Government is seen to launch “an attack on the fundamental constitutional rights enjoyed by all persons in this country”, what can innocent law abiding hard working Bahamians expect of criminals?

We call upon the Prime Minister, the Leader of this inept, paralyzed, feckless and consumed by fear FNM Government to send the right message to criminals. See to it that the criminals who attack the State institutions are speedily charged and tried. Obey the law. Pay the Judges their money, NOW!

Nassau, Bahamas — Shane Gibson asked Hubert Ingraham in the House today, if he was aware that two members of NIB had resigned from the Board and was awarded handsome contracts immediately following their resignations having knowledge of what was being executed by the Board.

Prime Minister who is responsible for NIB responded only saying: “I have a meeting with the Chairman of NIB at 5pm today.” Ingraham said nothing more as he sat in his seat.

Bahamas Press alleges former board members were granted attractive contracts by NIB having full knowledge of pending business discussed by the Board, which were to be executed by NIB.

Here’s what we know.

BP alleges, Winston Rolle, a former Director of National Insurance Board, who was an advocate against the National Health Insurance, has gotten his payday.

Shane Gibson

We further allege, Rolle who was appointed a Director to the Board, as payment for his role in opposing the implementation of National Health Insurance has now received his second payback.

Rolle was sent to Jamaica to assist with the negotiations for the computer software and company for the National Drug Plan. Reports are Rolle has not only negotiated for NIB but mainly for himself.

Since he has been greased, he has now handed in his resignation and has received the full blessings of a contract issued by Algernon Cargill and Philip Ward.

Rolle is now the lead Bahamian in a partnership for (Advanced Integrated Systems) AIS, Jamaica. The company was awarded the Systems contract by NIB.

Additionally, we are advised, that Cargill has arranged for the rental of one of  his cousin’s apartment for the AIS consultants of the drug plan in Sandyport. The Board we know is also paying for the rental.

Bahamas Press can also confirm, Philip Kemp, is the second board member of NIB who we know has received a contract from the Board having knowledge of its full workings.

Kemp resigned from NIB and was later issued a sub-contract from Telco Enterprises at the Sandilands facility being funded by NIB. The contract has cost the taxpayers of the Bahamas a whopping $8 million.

Last year the Prime Minister told Parliament following scandals emanating from NIB that: “I will read what they say. I will listen to what they say, and I will speak after that.”

Shane Gibson and PLP strongman Philip ‘Brave’ Davis called for a probe into NIB last year as they exposed in Parliament the SCANDALOUS squander of public money at the Board.

However, despite the exposed litany of abuses of public money at NIB, the Prime Minister has yet to honour his word and speak to the matter or answer claims of SQUANDER unfolding.

Now we read news of further questions, where contacts were given directly to former board members.

Bahamas Press demands a public commission to investigate the SCANDALOUS OPERATIONS at NIB. INCLUDING THE CONTRACTS TO KENUTH Knowles, PORKY DORSETT, IRAM LEWIS, Charlton Morley AND Jeffery LLOYD, just to name a few.

We believe these latest events are blatant conflicts of interest and represent an assault on the backs of the Bahamian people; many of whom cannot collect a dime from NIB.

We again ask for the resignation of NIB director Algernon Cargill.

NIB head office on Blue Hill Road.

Bahamas Press has learned the Ingraham Government will approve 8,100 Chinese to construct Bah Mar. 71% of the workers on the project will be foreign labour. PM told the House this is unprecedented and has never happened in the Bahamas…

Nassau, Bahamas — Bahamas Press read one of the ‘Dutty’ Toilet Papers this morning, better known as the Torch these days [Tribune], and has found a headline which reads, “FNM decides not to hold convention”.

The headline comes just a day following our confirmation that the Free National Movement will hold its National Convention on Wednesday 3rd, Nov. 2010 at the Wyndham Crystal Palace on Cable Beach.

Critical thinkers, however, upon reading the story would discover the Torch could not find one name in all of the FNM to confirm its gutter report. Not one officer of the Party could confirm or deny if indeed what they are reporting is fact.

The newspaper mysteriously could not find Party Leader, Hubert Ingraham, who they could have found halfway across the east side of the Atlantic to respond to a story of his unlawful fast tracking of a government contract to Floyd Wilmott to renovate the Commissioner of Police residence on East Hill Street. The PM was in Europe, and the 100 year-old Torch contacted him via email and published his response the next morning.

Hubert Ingraham is now in Nassau, so why was it so difficult for the Torch to quote him on this story? Why is it so difficult for them to contact Carl Bethel? Why is it they could not contact that other lost fella, who they appear to be advising these days. Why is it the newspaper, which for a century have been reporting lies and spinning half-truths, could not find one knucklehead in the FNM and name them saying the Convention will not be?

You know if you follow the Torch as we have, you will find they cannot report anything truthful.

According to them, the John Travolta trial would be going on right now in the Supreme Court! Nevertheless, you see, they have no SHAME! Every three days its editorial team is toasting champagne and popping cork screws to celebrate the newspaper’s abysmal failures to the Bahamas People!

It is no wonder the Internet has taken the country by storm; becoming the #1 source for news in the Bahamas. The Tribune has no shame! They have been most neglectful. They should be embarrassed for what they continue to do. And it is evident the Bahamian people have long ago fired them for their WUTLESS reporting.

Ingraham told delegates to meet him at Convention 2010 at “the same time and same place” as he closed out caucus 2009. Prime Minister also told the press at that Convention he would make his decision as to whether or not he will stay on as Party Leader by the end of 2010. Ingraham is a man who says what he means and means what he says, or has that Changed to?

WE NEED CHANGE!

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham waves to the cheering crowd as he makes his way, with Members of Parliament, to Rawson Square for the Speech from the Throne by the Governor General His Excellency Arthur D. Hanna on Wednesday, May 23, 2007.

Nassau Bahamas — Hubert Ingraham and the FNM began talks with the Chinese to deliver 8,150 ‘peasant convicted workers’ into the country. BP believes it is Ingraham’s responsibility to decide whether or not the Chinese should be allowed to enter. It is a function of the Cabinet that grants work permits and sets immigration policies for the nation. Parliament has no grounds and it will be UNCONSTITUTIONAL to bring such a resolution to the House of Assembly.

While Ingraham is up to playing his tricks we would wish for him to bring to Parliament a resolution for the SALE OF BTC for all and sundry to vote yea or nay.

WE NEED CHANGE!

——————————————–

China’s use of prison labor in developing countries

Brahma Chellaney

China has devised a novel strategy to relieve pressure on its overcrowded prisons: Use convicts as labourers on oversea s projects in the developing world.

The practice has exposed another facet of China’s egregious human-rights record, which, when it comes to the overseas operations of Chinese companies, includes the government’s failure to enforce its own regulations.

Not only is China the world’s leading executioner – it puts to death three times as many people every year as the rest of the world combined – it also has one of the largest prison populations: 1.57 million inmates in 2009, according to the International Centre for Prison Studies at King’s College, London.

The forced dispatch of prisoners to work on overseas infrastructure projects raises new issues regarding China’s human-rights record. It also adds a new element – the dumping of convicts – to its trade and investment policy, which has been much criticized for dumping goods.

Thousands of Chinese convicts, for example, have been pressed into service on projects undertaken by state-run Chinese companies in Sri Lanka, a strategically important country for Beijing as it seeks to enhance its regional position in the Indian Ocean.

After providing Sri Lanka’s government with weapons systems that helped end the country’s decades-long civil war, China has been rewarded with port-building, railroad and other infrastructure projects.

Convicted Chinese workers sent to build in third world countries like the Bahamas.

Chinese convicts also have been sent to the Maldives, where the Chinese government is building 4,000 houses on several different islands as a government-to-government “gift” to win influence.

So far, however, China has failed to persuade the country’s President to lease it one of the 700 uninhabited Maldivian islands for use as a small base for the Chinese navy.

Chinese companies’ operating practice for overseas projects is to keep the number of local workers to a bare minimum and to bring in much of the work force from China, including convicts “freed” on parole for project-related overseas work.
Convict labourers, like the rest of the Chinese work force on such projects, are housed near the project site. That way, if any convict worker escaped, he would be easy to find in an alien setting.

In theory, such practices run counter to regulations promulgated by the Chinese commerce ministry in August of 2006, in response to a backlash against Chinese businesses in Zambia after the death of 51 Zambian workers in an explosion at a Chinese-owned copper mine.
These regulations called for “localization,” including hiring local workers, respecting local customs and adhering to safety norms. In October of 2006, the State Council – China’s cabinet – issued nine directives ordering that Chinese overseas businesses “pay attention to environmental protection,” “support local community and people’s livelihood cause” and “preserve China’s good image and its good corporate reputation.”

But Chinese regulations are sometimes promulgated simply to blunt external criticism, and thus are seldom enforced (except when a case attracts international attention).

In 2003, for example, China enacted a law on environmental-impact assessments that was followed in 2008 by “provisional measures” to permit public participation in such assessments.

Yet, Chinese leaders remain more zealous about promoting exports and economic growth than in protecting the country’s air and water.
Similarly, the State Council’s 2006 directives to Chinese overseas companies have been subordinated to the drive for exports and growth, even when it imposes environmental and social costs on local communities abroad.

Indeed, as part of the government’s “going global” policy, Chinese companies are offered major incentives for bagging overseas contracts and boosting exports.

The use of convict labourers adds a disturbing new dimension to this strategy. But even before convicts became part of China’s overseas development effort, some Chinese projects, especially dam-building schemes, were embroiled in disputes with local communities in Botswana, Burma, Pakistan, Ghana and Sudan.

Several bombs exploded recently at the site of Burma’s Myitsone Dam, whose construction by a Chinese company in insurgency-torn Kachin state is displacing thousands of subsistence farmers and fishermen by flooding a wide swath of land.

Chinese companies can’t get thousands of prisoners released on their own, let alone secure passports and exit permits for them. It’s obvious that the practice of pressing convicts into service on overseas projects has been instituted by the Chinese government.

Until China’s treatment of its own citizens and those of other countries is guided by respect for basic human rights and the rule of law, Beijing is unlikely to command the respect it seeks on the world stage”.

Brahma Chellaney is a professor of strategic studies at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi and the author of Asian Juggernaut: The Rise of China, India and Japan.

http://www.thedominican.net/2010/08/china-use-of-prison.html

<<< Prime Minister Dean Barrow made the following remarks to Parliament, and the Reporter, recognizing the historic and national significance of the move, has decided to publish Barrows remarks verbatim…

We hope a PLP government would STOP, REVIEW, CANCEL AND RESCIND any silly contract entered into by the Ingraham Government on BTC.

Mr. Speaker,

I rise to introduce the Bill for an Act to amend the Belize Telecommunications Act to provide for assumption of control over telecommunications by the Government in the public interest; and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Let me at once say that the long title is quite clear and what the government is doing by way of introducing this measure, is preparing to take control of the company formerly known as Belize Telecommunications Limited, and currently going by the name of Telemedia.

I must also say immediately, Mr. Speaker, that government intends to take the Bill through all its stages today.  The Senate will then meet tomorrow, and we expect that the Bill will be signed into law by tomorrow evening or Wednesday morning at the latest.  At that time the new, Government-appointed Board of Directors will assume operational control over Telemedia, and the re-Belizeanization of the company will be complete.

Now I confess, Mr. Speaker, that the Opposition, indeed all members of the House, are only seeing the Bill for the first time this morning.  And yet we intend to pass it today.  Members will thus have to read and digest quickly between the introduction and the resumption after committee meets, in order to debate the measure.  The lack of notice is regretted, but could not, in the circumstances, be helped.  The current owners of Telemedia, as they have repeatedly demonstrated, will stop at nothing to frustrate the business of governance in this country; and will act with every resource at their command to thwart the interest and legitimate aspirations of the Belizean people.  While the minimum requirements of our democracy means that there will still be a two day window of opportunity for those that would stymie us, government had to do what was necessary to narrow that opening as much as possible.  I say again to all members that I would have wished that we did not have to proceed in this fashion.  But the exigencies of the circumstances, the larger demands of Belize’s national interests, left us no choice.

The questions will of course be asked: why this move, and why now? In answering these questions I need to rehearse for the house and the nation a fair amount of background.  Mr. Speaker, Belize Telecommunications Limited was incorporated in 1987 during the first UDP administration.  At that time the purpose was to Belizeanize telecommunications, replacing the control of the foreign entity Cable and Wireless with a national company.  It was always the UDP government’s intention that the new BTL would be majority owned by the citizens of Belize, not by the government.  That first privatization worked wonderfully well and has remained one of the proudest accomplishments of the 84 – 89 UDP administration.  We made sure then to insert particular safeguards into the company’s Articles of Association to protect the national interest in BTL.  And history has recorded what a fabulous success story that whole enterprise was.  In the years immediately after 1987 BTL returned record profits to the many Belizeans that invested in the company.  A 20% return on investment was the order of the day, and there were years when BTL paid a dividend yield of as much as 30%.

All remained well until February 1992 when the predatory designs of one man were facilitated by the greed and hunger for cash of the then PUP administration.  At that time the PUP began to sell shares in BTL to Michael Ashcroft at a rate and in a manner that was counterintuitive and counter nationalistic.  Under the UDP Articles of Association there was a 25% cap on the shares that could be sold to any one person or entity.  This was so that no single individual could dominate the company and in order to make the ownership as widely Belizean as possible.  In violation of this Article, the PUP presided over an ever increasing transfer of shares to Ashcroft.  This process was interrupted by the 93-98 UDP return to power, but restarted as soon as the PUP became the government again.  It culminated in March 2004 with the infamous sting operation perpetrated by then Prime Minister Said Musa, which leveraged almost 94% of BTL shares into the control of Lord Ashcroft.  Since then the PUP double dealing in which they screwed Glenn Godfrey for Ashcroft, then Ashcroft for Prosser, then Prosser for Ashcroft again, has produced litigation after litigation.  Between 2005 and 2006 alone, there were at least 6 BTL cases in Belize, England, the US and Canada.  In the end Ashcroft prevailed and cemented his total control.

But, he was not satisfied.  Between 1998 and 2005 BTL’s profits were 20 cents for every dollar invested.  Nevertheless, and perhaps as payback for the PUP support, however fleeting, of Jeffrey Prosser, Ashcroft wanted more.  And he got it from the PUP in 2006 after he had regained supreme control of BTL.  This came by way of the infamous secret Accommodation  Agreement, in which the PUP government guaranteed the Ashcroft group a minimum rate of return of 15%. According to that Agreement and under that guarantee, Ashcroft could in any year declare that BTL had not made that 15%; declare how much the shortfall was; and simply not pay his taxes until the so-call shortfall had been recovered. This is exactly what happened in 2007, so that thereafter Ashcroft’s Telemedia ended up paying no business tax, no customs duties, no imprest of any kind.  In addition, the Accommodation Agreement stipulated that the PUC could not regulate Telemedia’s rates, leaving the consumers at their mercy.  But it still did not stop there.  All other existing Telecoms licenses (excepting Speednet’s – about which more later) had to be revoked.  Voice Over Internet Protocol, which we all know gives consumers the cheapest option, is outlawed.  Telemedia is able to refuse interconnection to any and everyone, including internet service providers.  And the PUC cannot, for any cause and no matter what the complaint, in any way touch or alter Telemedia’s license.  Finally, the Accommodation Agreement binds each government department, agency, or associated body, to use only Telemedia’s services at onerous pre-arranged rates until 2015, and thereafter for successive 3 year renewal periods.

Now, Mr. Speaker, this is where the new government of the United Democratic Party came in.  As soon as we discovered this Accommodation Agreement and the fact that it had been secretly signed and secretly implemented by the PUP, we came to the Belizean public and denounced it.  Lord Michael Ashcroft is an extremely powerful man.  His net worth may well be equal to Belize’s entire GDP. He is nobody to cross and the new government could well have chosen the path of least resistance; to cower in the face of the certain wrath of this potentate; to continue in the PUP style with business as usual; to betray, in other words, all that we had campaigned for, all that we had promised, and all that is basic and decent and straight forward if there is to be any ounce of trust left in public office.  But betrayal of the people is not in my nature, and not, I am surpassingly proud to say, in the nature of the United Democratic Party.

And so we took counsel among ourselves and to a man the UDP cabinet voted, in the name of the Belizean people, to resist this treasonous Accommodation Agreement at all costs.  Belizean Law and Belizean dignity would be upheld; Belizean pride and Belizean patriotism and Belizean patrimony vindicated.

And, of course, resisted we have.  Now no one can doubt the justice of our stand.  But, as we always knew, it has been costly.  Michael Ashcroft had Telemedia invoked arbitration in London to enforce the Accommodation Agreement.  And he obtained a judgment of 38.5 million dollars and a court – mandated requirement that government now begin to honor the Accommodation agreement.

Well, I have said that as God is my witness I will never pay that award.  But it doesn’t stop there.  In April of 2009 Telemedia informed the government of further claims they will make to the London Court of International Arbitration, and that the size of a new award “could pale the current award of 38 million into insignificance”.

Mr. Speaker, Members, fellow Belizeans:  this is intolerable.  I, and the United Democratic Party Government, in the name of the people will put up with it no longer.  That an agreement so patently illegal, so patently immoral, so patently anti-Belize, should continue to torture us, to bleed us, to subject us to this death by a thousand cuts, cannot for one second more be countenanced.  This is our House, this is our country.  Here we are masters, here we are sovereign.  And with the full weight of that sovereignty we must now put an end to this disrespect, to this chance taking, to this new age slavery.  There will thus be no more Telemedia awards against us; no more Telemedia court battles; no more debilitating waste of government’s energies and resources; and there will be no more suffering of this one man’s campaign to subjugate an entire nation to his will.  After long and sufficient consideration, therefore, and in the exercise of that national power that is ours by Constitution and inalienable right, this government will now acquire Telemedia.

Think on it Mr. Speaker.  Telecommunications uses the airwaves as its medium.  But these airwaves constitute a God-given natural resource of Belize, just like our sun, our sea, our rivers, our forests.  These things together  help to make up the patrimony of the Belizean people, and the exploitation of that patrimony must always be consistent with the interests of Belizeans.  When those that come to partner with us demonstrate beyond all doubt that they will upend equitability, upend reasonableness, that they will, infamy upon infamy, beat us about our heads with our own inheritance, the very blood coursing through  our Belizean veins obliges us to act.

Just as fundamental, though perhaps a little more prosaic, telecommunications – information and communications technology – is a critical part of the development apparatus of any modern society.  Indeed, as has been officially recognized by our regional integration movement CARICOM, it is an indispensable tool in that restructuring of developing countries’ economies that, in the face of the global crisis, must begin to take place now.  Accordingly, unregulated monopoly control and abuse of the sector cannot be permitted.  Yet, that is precisely what the Accommodation Agreement mandates.  This is especially so in view of the fact that even the very limited mobile phone so-called competitor to Telemedia, is owned by Telemedia.  That is right and I have the documents to prove it. 77.38% of Speednet is owned by three companies – Callerbar Limited, Riddermark Ventures Limited, and Heaver Holdings Limited.  These three companies are headquartered at the Belize City Cork Street premises of Michael Ashcroft, and controlled by two of the now notorious Trusts owned by Michael Ashcroft.

And so Mr. Speaker let no one be in any doubt as to why we are doing what we are doing today.  Let no one confuse or misunderstand our purpose.  This is not ideology, this is not triumphalism.  This is a country in particular circumstances reaching the end of its patience and doing a singular, necessary, righteous thing to protect its national interest.  It is not part of any pattern, part of no new philosophy.   It is plain and simple a special measure for a special case.  We make no apologies for it, but we also do not seek to elevate it. As must be clear from the developments in even the global bastions of super capitalism and private property, this is what countries do to protect themselves.  It is an article of faith and a cardinal rule of statecraft that a nation will act in any way necessary to preserve its national interest.  That national interest, in these circumstances, now absolutely demands our present course of action.

So there you have it, Mr. Speaker, the government’s brief from the heart.  In the days to come, the dissection and the deconstruction, both at home and abroad, will of course take place.  But no matter which way you look at it, ours is a straightforward case and a compelling case. We will move ahead not unaware of the difficulties that will be thrown up, but with a confidence that is both supreme and serene because we know we are right.

Before I conclude, just let me spend a little time telling you what will happen as we proceed.  First of all, you will see that the Bill makes every provision for fair and proper compensation to be paid to the owners of the shares we will acquire.  This is not, I repeat, some cowboy action but something done in the full plenitude of, and compliance with, our Constitution.  As well, we are only acquiring the 94% or so of Telemedia that is controlled by the Ashcroft interests.  The shareholding owned by Belizeans will be left intact.  The actual acquisition will be done by way of an order made by the Minister of Tele communications, who will in that same order appoint a new Board of Directors. As soon as practicable after, an extraordinary general meeting will be held and new Articles of Association adopted.  The new Articles will essentially be the Articles of the successful BTL that was launched in 1988.  In other words, the safeguards to protect Belizean shareholders will be re-established, including protection of the special share and the limitation on the amount of single ownership. As well, and perhaps most importantly, the articles will guarantee that dividends will be paid to shareholders at the rate of 40% of the yearly profits.

Of course, a prospectus will as early as possible be published.  On this basis, Belizeans will be invited to purchase the shares now being acquired in Telemedia by the Government.  In other words, there is no intention for government to hold on to those shares.  This acquisition is, rather, to give all Belizeans a chance to invest once again in a company that has proven to be a money maker.

I also want to say that the new Board of Directors will be chaired by Mr. Nestor Vasquez and will have the Right Honorable Manuel Esquivel as a member. Telemedia’s current employees will, of course, all keep their jobs.  Indeed, we expect a greatly improved industrial relations climate and the quick resolution of outstanding worker grievances.  I think particularly of the arbitration case of the dismissed workers, a case the current ownership of Telemedia has utterly frustrated.  I am positive, therefore, that Telemedia’s staff, like all other right-thinking Belizeans, will completely support the Government’s move and cooperate to make the transition as seamless as possible.  For consumers, we expect services to continue uninterrupted.  We do not believe the present operators of the company will try any kind of sabotage.  If they do, we will have to use already existing provisions of the law to move in and take control even before the passage of this Bill.

Mr. Speaker, I close by saying that no one need feel any sympathy for Lord Ashcroft.  This is not an ad hominem move; it is to deal with a structural problem.  Indeed, apart from his compensation, Lord Ashcroft’s interests will remain profit-making participants in Belize’s Telecommunications sector, because those interests own Speednet, the other telecoms provider.  This, I repeat then, is only about Telemedia; and no more and no less than a case of the Belizean national interest trumping any other consideration.

Michael Ashcroft, majority shareholder of BTL.

Progressive Liberal Party

PLP STATEMENT: The PLP continues to note with great concern the record number of murders. Crime is out of control.  There is too much fear of crime. There is too much talk and no action from this inept FNM Government.

The persons who broke into the Supreme and the Magistrates’ Courts have not yet been tried. The persons who broke into the Passport Office have not yet been tried. The persons who broke into the FirstCaribbean Bank have not yet been tried. Those persons who shot at the home of a police witness have not yet been charged. Persons who intimidate witnesses continue to roam the streets as if our country is the wild, wild west of old.

We refer to the latest brazen attack on the state where two armed men allegedly robbed the government’s administrative building of an undetermined amount of cash and assaulted the administrator in the process. This alleged crime took place on 4th September 2010 on the island of Acklins.

The FNM Government continues to send criminals the message that they can get away with their brazen acts of lawlessness. The FNM Government seems to be paralyzed and afraid.

Breaking into the Supreme Court is tantamount to an act of treason. The persons who were charged weeks ago should have been tried by now. It is inexcusable that they have not yet been tried. If this Government was serious about the war against crime, those accused persons would have been tried by now.

It is also inexcusable that the persons who recently murdered two possible witnesses and shot at the home of a police officer, also a potential witness, have not yet been charged. The Government must demonstrate to all within our borders that anyone who shoots at or otherwise threatens a police officer, a witness in a trial, or a Judge, will be immediately arrested, charged and tried. Perhaps if the FNM Government supported the Police rather than unceremoniously forcing seasoned and competent police officers with a wealth of experience to retire on 48 hours’ notice, the criminals would not act in such a brazen fashion.

The PLP strongly disagrees with and deplores the following statement made on 3rd September, 2010 in the editorial of The Tribune:

“It would be difficult to criticize anyone who concluded that — with a few exceptions – this judicial Bahamianisation has been a colossal failure.”

We support and commend the hardworking Judges of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. We do not believe that the Bahamianisation of the Judiciary has been a failure. Judges do not prepare cases. Our Judges sit always ready, willing and able to hear cases. Regrettably the Office of the Attorney General too frequently is not ready to prosecute matters that have been set down for trial. This is not the fault of Judges. The fault lies solidly at the feet of the Attorney General. The Attorney General is a colossal failure.

We condemn the FNM Government for its failure to conduct the salary review for Judges as is required by the Judges Remuneration and Pensions Act. We call upon the Prime Minister to lay before the House of Assembly for its approval the report of the Commission that is alleged to have inquired into “the adequacy of the salaries, allowances and pensions…and the adequacy of Judges’ benefits generally…”. We call upon the Attorney General to advise the Government to obey the law.

Bahamians, everywhere, even FNM’s, are crying out for the day when they will be able to free themselves from this nightmarish “jokey” FNM Government.

Twenty-nine- year-old, Raushawn Smith, is the victim of a stabbing early this morning in Exuma.

Sandals Emerald Bay Statement: We can confirm that an incident took place in the early hours of the morning on Monday 6th September 2010 between two off-duty Sandals Emerald Bay team members. The altercation took place away from the resort whilst the two individuals, both Bahamian nationals, were socializing together.

As a result of the confrontation, one of individuals was taken to the local clinic where he received treatment for his injuries and was released yesterday morning. He was accompanied by Sandals Management throughout.  Human Resources personnel at the resort were in contact with the victim’s sister soon after to inform them of the incident and offer support.

The safety and well being of Sandals Emerald Bay team members is of paramount importance to us and the resort has a zero tolerance on any forms of violence. As such, we will continue to assist the local authorities with their investigation.

A BP NEWS ALERT: Bahamas Press can now confirm more than $200,000 of public money was stolen from the Acklins commissioner office.

Gunmen kidnapped Commissioner Knowles and his son around 12:30 Saturday morning, took them to the Acklins office and force them to open the safe.

The gunmen cleaned out the safe and got away with all the money. This is the 8th major attack on a government facility in the past two month.

Hon. Edison Key

The Chairman of BAIC AND MP for South Abaco, Mr. Edison Key, is off from work and has undergone a triple bypass heart surgery. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.