By Malcolm Strachan

HARKENING back to the election campaign which decimated the former Progressive Liberal Party government, a major talking point on the campaign trail was corruption. The Bahamian people, no stranger to this, can go back to the 80s where some of our national heroes were implicated as a result of corruption in government. However, though we’ve historically had challenges with corruption and slackness throughout our society, how many convictions have we seen?

The current administration had the electorate chomping at the bit to see transgressors who swindled the Bahamian people and abused their power do the “bank lane shuffle”. Indeed, headlines were made and opposers of the former government - a whopping majority of the citizenry - were gratified to seeing high-ranking PLPs handcuffed and escorted to the courts to be charged with crimes of corruption and bribery.

Yet, after two failed attempts at convicting former Labour Minister Shane Gibson and ex-chairman of the Public Hospitals Authority Frank Smith, the Bahamian people have become disenchanted. And why not? After two spectacles spanning more than two years and cases that couldn’t stick with a bottle of super glue, the general public’s main concern now is how much lighter is the public purse. Still in the dark as to how much was spent to retain and house hotshot QCs, the frustration felt by the Bahamian people is palpable.

With little belief left in the land of milk and honey the FNM government promised to deliver, many feel as though the time is ticking on voting out the current government. Certainly, they’ve not given us much reason not to. While initiatives like the tax-free zones in the Over-the-Hill communities, tax relief on breadbasket items and the push for small businesses, to name a few, have garnered some support, the knocks – increased VAT, incredible ineptitude and increasing power bills at BPL and a seemingly overall lack of organisation and cohesion with their approach to governance – may be insurmountable.

Now, those non-believers who doubted there would ever be a member of the political fraternity that would be convicted of alleged crimes look somewhat prophetic. And the government – as for them – one Kirkland “KB” Bodie song comes to mind. Still, as recent as last week, the prime minister was going on about corruption as a point of reference for the government’s implementation of BPL’s controversial rate reduction bond.

Remember the Speech from the Throne? Former Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling read: “My government will ensure that its ministers are held to the highest standards of constitutional and personal conduct. Consequently, my government will enact and enforce anti-corruption legislation for all parliamentarians and public officers.”

Yet, where is the legislation that was passed?

Additionally, last year, do you recall the prime minister’s assertion that the country loses $500m due to corruption? Citizens certainly had a good time mocking the shocking claim. Others simply wondered where he pulled such high numbers from and why weren’t those guilty of such corruption not locked away for the crimes. Not long after, in another international forum, he adjusted his estimation to a more conservative, but still astronomical, figure of $200m corruption losses. Though he didn’t provide any proof and quietly walked back from those questionable remarks, we know that our country is rife with corruption and so does the prime minister.

With that in mind, why hasn’t there been anyone else besides the Bahamian people paying for it? Also, where is the promised legislation and the enforcement that should accompany it? How can one think this government is serious about what they claim?

While there have been massive concerns with fiscal wastage and mismanagement across government-run agencies and ministries, why are the Bahamian people still carrying the burden?

The government’s introduction of its plan to finance BPL’s legacy debt and equipment modernisation through what is arguably an additional tax on the citizenry, has been more salt in our wounds. Surely, the government can be most efficient in this regard. But when it comes to chasing down those who’ve not paid their bills, identifying the beneficiaries of human trafficking and making what they sold to us as an airtight case against allegations of bribery and corruption executed by public officials, they either seem disorganised or unmotivated.

With the interest all but gone in seeing individuals from the previous administration pay for their alleged crimes, the government has before it a tall task. As we approach a pivotal year, the question citizens will spend much time mulling over is “What has my government done for me lately?” And with the increased taxes and rising cost of living and unemployment, the poor performance of BPL and dormant anti-corruption legislation, and while not responsible entirely, the government’s management pre-and-post Hurricane Dorian – will all, among other indicators, play a huge role in the electorate’s decision in 2022.

Simply looking at the voting trends, the Bahamian people tend to let the pendulum swing every five years. And as long as we feel our voices are unable to penetrate the political vacuum, when given the opportunity, we will be heard.

Within this year, the government needs to get away from the comfort of their political sounding boards and into their communities. Extrapolate what positive learnings they can from the criticisms they’re receiving and get to work. Mixed in with the politically charged opposition is thousands of people who want this nation to be great. It is imperative the government realises this.

Else, the cloud that they’re sitting on will be brought down to earth with neck-breaking force.