We read with great interest the statement by the PLP government yesterday that the filing for Bankruptcy by Bahamar was unexpected…a surprise to the Government of the Bahamas.  If the PLP government is truthful in this statement, it begs the question why was the government not aware? From all recent reports by this government, there was constant communication with the Prime Minister and Izmirilian and the Chinese. Indeed this government touted for the past three years that Bahamar was going to be the saviour of our economy and, hence, one would have believed that this government would have been intimately involved in every aspect of Bahamar’s development. At least this is what a sensible government would have done, knowing the ramifications if the project failed. Certainly with all the so-called governmental experience of our good Prime Minister this should have been a foregone conclusion.

This statement of the PLP government, not having any knowledge of Bahamar’s filing for Bankruptcy is reminiscent of the claim made by the Prime Minister and the PLP government a few months back that they were not aware of the signing of the six hundred and fifty million dollar Letter of Intent by Mr. Renward Wells, the then Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Works. It truly begs the question, if the statement is correct, does this PLP government truly have a handle on what is going on in this country. Can they be trusted to continue with the governance of the Bahamian people’s affairs? Or is the PLP government lost, as the day is long?

If the government’s statement is correct, can it then be said that Izmirilian was not open/truthful with the Government of the Bahamas and by extension the Bahamian people? We do recall the Prime Minister stating two weeks ago that he had a meeting with Izmirilian after his returned from China and that he had good news. Another Minister in the PLP government announced last week that Bahamar would be open in November 2015 and that all is well. In this regard has the government since their supposedly recent knowledge approached Izmirilian and asked the question why was the Prime Minister and the Government of the Bahamas not informed of his intention to file for Bankruptcy? Perhaps Izmirilian can shed some light on whether the government was indeed aware of Bahamar’s actions/intentions. We in the Democratic National Alliance, on behalf of the Bahamian people, and in particular the two thousand persons who have lost their jobs, the Bahamian investors in the project and the Bahamian construction companies that have not been paid, would like to have an answer to this question. 

Branville McCartney
DNA Leader