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.