DNA Calls on the Government to do right by the Bahamian People and Put Bahamians First
July 20, 2011The DNA, along with Bahamians, is furious that the illegal immigration problem in the Bahamas has developed to a state whereby Bahamians, in essence, now have even more cause to feel as if they are Second, Third and even Fourth class citizens in their own Country! The DNA believes that Bahamians deserve better treatment at the hands of their
government and is calling on the government to do right by its people by putting them first again – in all things.
The Party, along with scores of Bahamians across the length and breadth of the Bahamas, is increasingly troubled by the Government of the Bahamas’ attempt to secretly regularize thousands of non-Bahamians during an elections season, while at the same time admittedly following the fashion of the Christie Administration and its old “land give-away” practices.
As a result, Bahamians are feeling more and more that persons who are here ILLEGALLY seem to have more rights and privileges than they do, particularly since Ministers of the government are revealing that persons who are here illegally now stand to be regularized and, thereafter, given first option to purchase property which they squatted on
illegally for years!
The DNA says that this is a slap in the face to Bahamians! It is totally unacceptable and unfair to the Bahamian people, who– it would appear - must comply with the Law to do the things that illegals are being allowed to do
without compliance.
It seems that the Government allows illegals to:
- Squat on land illegally
- Use electricity illegally
- Sell products without the proper business license
- Set up businesses without authority
- Build structures without permission
In the name of truth and transparency, The DNA along with the Bahamian public asks this ‘Government in the Sunshine’ to identify publicly all persons who they intend to:
- Sell property to in the Mackey Yard area;
- State publicly whether these persons are citizens by birth or recently regularized;
- Sate if not recently regularized, when they were regularized;
- State whether there are Bahamians waiting to purchase land from the Government, and, if so, explain how many persons are on the list and how long have they been on the waiting list?
DNA leader, Branville McCartney, says that while at Immigration, he formed a special unit designed to legally and humanely remove shanty towns in the Bahamas, only to have it later shot and shut down.
“During my time at Immigration, my hands were practically tied and I met stern objection to this initiative,” Mr. McCartney says. “I was told that I was ‘grandstanding.’ The Prime Minister himself told me that I did not get
permission from him to start such an initiative and that I did not have the authority to do so.”
“Because my hands were tied when it came to addressing and putting in place solutions to these and other issues in the department,” Mr. McCartney says, “I soon after resigned. Now, unfortunately, Bahamians too are now being vexed and frustrated by this administration’s handling of this worrisome immigration issue.”
The Party requests that the Government put into action the plans left by the Former Minister of State for Immigration to remove the 37 Shanty Towns in New Providence and, thereafter, the Shanty Towns throughout the Family
Islands.
Again, it calls on the Government to do right by the Bahamian People and Put Bahamians First! We, as Bahamians, deserve better and expect better of our government in the 21st century!