“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result” – Albert Einstein
I am sure that there is someone within the Progressive Liberal Party’s camp looking to justify the failure of this referendum, and they are most likely attempting to intimate that it was due to the ‘ignorance’ of the people causing them not to vote in their own best interest.
I was really hopeful and sure that bills #1 and #3 would have been received more favorably by the people; # 1, giving the overseas born children of Bahamian fathers or mothers the right to citizenship provided that these parents did not obtain their citizenship through Articles 3(2), 8 or 10 of the constitution, deleting Article 9 and;
#3, allowing for Article 14 to give overseas born children of unmarried men the same right to citizenship that other enjoy, provided that paternity is proven but it was not to be.
As the agents of the PLP would seek to blame the ‘ignorance’ of the people for the failure of this very important referendum, who was it that was actually charged with the responsibility of educating the people so that an informed electorate went to the polls?
If the government feels that their education campaign was a success then the electorate was not ‘ignorant’, so what was the problem?
I am sure that agents of the Progressive Liberal Party will now go on to blame the church and the Free National Movement for this colossal failure, this is nothing short of asinine, as the only reasonable explanation is that the people cut of their noses in spite of their face due to the great frustration, distrust and lack of confidence that they have for this PLP government.
If this government used this as a ‘litmus test’ for the next general elections, I cry shame on them as I did when former Prime Minister , the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham made the statement that whoever won the 2002 referendum would win the election, we all saw how that turned out and who really wins or loses?
As the Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party lays the ground work to smooth over the results of yesterdays referendum results with “The will of the the Bahamian people was expressed unfettered in the historic June 7 gender referendum as Bahamians respectfully and peacefully exercised their voting franchise. I thank them for their solemn and reverential respect for the democratic process”, I question his statement of “His hands on approach cannot be understated as Mr. Christie met personally with the Christian Council and the church community who influenced the wording of the final constitutional amendments to ensure that The Bahamas adheres to its abiding Christian principles”, I sort of remember some statement by a certain PLP minister along the lines of some of these people need Jesus, be that as it is I wonder if this very same member of parliament is a man of his word and as he stated in 2002 ,“On the other hand we have nothing but scorn for this jackass that we call our Prime Minister. He had to concede defeat just after 9.30 p.m. on the night of the referendum. But the next day, he was back true to form. He refused to resign making some spurious distinction by saying this was a vote not against the FNM and himself but against the issue raised in the referendum. This is utter foolishness and is at variance with every known convention of the constitution.” I wonder now what statement Prime Minister Perry Christie will make, as he has been very silent and will this minister now ask for him to do the honorable thing, as he requested of Hubert Ingraham, and step down.
This is truly a sad indictment on us as a people and a country, when we seem to feel that the best course of action is to go against our won best interest. What is worst is when you feel so powerless that you feel that this course of action is your only course of action. I do find solace in the fact that some persons that have expressed great distain for the present government voted in the best interest of the country.
The Progressive Liberal Party saw the results and ramifications of the 2002 referendum ad decided to follow the very same path by making it political.
The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.
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My Morning Paper 