By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Christian Council President Rev Dr Ranford Patterson yesterday called on Prime Minister Perry Christie to clarify if recent statements made by Obie Wilchcombe on gaming is official government policy or Mr Wilchcombe’s personal opinion.

Last week, the gaming minister said web shop gaming is “not off the table” and is still up for discussion – 
despite Bahamians overwhelmingly voting against the regularisation and taxation of web shops.

In fact, he said he has already met with several church leaders who have agreed to help him in his dialogue with other influential religious leaders.

In a press statement, Dr Patterson said the BCC’s postion on web shop gaming has not changed and it is disrepectful for the government to attempt to overturn the results of the referendum.

“We feel that it is a blatant disregard to the thousands of voters who cast ballots in the referendum and an affront to the majority of Bahamians that despite a resounding defeat at the polls nearly one year ago, numbers racketeering not only continues to blatantly defy the will of the people, but some have also been awarded new licenses by the Government,” he said.
“For a Minister of the Government to say that the laws governing numbers racketeering cannot be enforced, strongly suggests that the Minister is either intentionally being intellectually dishonest or lacks the political will particularly since the Government is armed with the will of the people who soundly expressed their desire to enforce the laws of the land. The BCC seeks to ascertain from Prime Minister the Rt.Hon. Perry Christie whether Minister Wilchcombe is speaking and acting independently of his Government’s stated position or is he speaking on behalf of the Government when he proposed that he is seeking a way to legalize numbers racketeering and by extension suggest that the church compromise.”

Dr Patterson also questioned why, a year after the referendum, are web shops still allowed to operate.

He said: “As we approach the eve of the 1st anniversary of the referendum, we humbly ask Prime Minister Christie to clearly articulate the Government’s position and intention regarding the shutting down of the numbers racket presently being operated illegally in web shops by way of internet gaming.
“We would also like to know, is the Government of The Bahamas seeking to overturn the results of the referendum, ignoring the peaceful exercise in democracy that many of the voters demonstrated? Is the Government of The Bahamas now seeking a way to not keep its word after it faithfully promised the nation that it would? Church leaders as well as its membership in addition to countless Bahamians are also trying to determine why is the Government not providing the leadership and displaying the tenacity to uphold the law and the expressed will of the Bahamian people? One would think that every Government would rally to do whatever it takes to champion the voice of the people. The BCC finds the non-performance of the Government in this matter to be extremely disappointing.”

Dr Patterson said the Government of the Bahamas cannot undo the democratic exercise conducted nearly a year ago, nor can the BCC or the Government change the results of the 48,012 registered voters who said “No” to legalizing, regulating and taxing the illegal numbers racket in The Bahamas and the BCC has no desire to do so.