By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Anti-corruption campaigners yesterday warned that mere political promises will not cut it as The Bahamas faces “dire and irreversible circumstances” unless the next administration adopts urgent reforms.

The Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG), issuing a call to action for all candidates seeking to become MPs at the upcoming September 16 general election, urged them to commit to policies that would deliver the “transparent and accountable governance” that The Bahamas desperately needs to rebuild its economy and society in the wake of COVID-19 and Hurricane Dorian’s devastation.

Asserting that this is no time for empty words and rhetoric, the six-page “open letter” identified a series of policies the group said should be priorities for the next administration as it urged: “ORG stresses the obvious to all candidates: Promises sound good, but solid plans lead to meaningful, inclusive and positive growth.”

Matt Aubry, ORG’s executive director, told Tribune Business that the intention behind publishing the letter was to “create a dialogue that starts to move from promises to a plan”. He explained that the group was trying to drive political candidates to commit to implementing reforms in a way that was effective and could be benchmarked by agreeing to timelines for this to happen.

Obtaining agreement from individual candidates, Mr Aubry said, would help to ensure their party was also committed if they won the Government on September 16. And he added that ORG’s letter was also designed to create a ‘road map’ for Bahamian voters to hold politicians to account by requesting details on when, and how, reforms designed to benefit the Bahamian people will be enacted.

The administration that takes office on September 17 will govern at a pivotal time for The Bahamas given the twin economic and fiscal crises that the country faces post-COVID and Dorian. Mr Aubry argued that The Bahamas “doesn’t have that luxury” of pushing vital reforms “down the road” any longer, and that words must now be replaced with urgent, focused and determined action to address long-standing weaknesses.

Noting that many of the reforms identified in ORG’s letter had been kicked around and debated for at least two administrations, he said that “being listed in one party’s manifesto is not enough” given the extent of the problems faced by The Bahamas.

“The Bahamas finds itself at a critical juncture, and failure to achieve significant progress in the next administration can result in dire and irreversible circumstances. The needs of the political parties and the politicians must not eclipse the greater needs of the nation of The Bahamas,” ORG charged in its letter.

“ORG stresses the obvious to all candidates. Promises sound good, but solid plans lead to meaningful, inclusive and positive growth. The Bahamian public deserves plans for change that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and anchored within a believable timeframe. This commitment to transparency and accountability can be the difference between a short-term electoral victory, and the longer-term sustainability and success of the nation.”

Turning to the reforms it had listed, the group added: “The actions identified represent difficult but necessary steps forward that exist outside of a political agenda. ORG will continue to encourage Bahamian citizens to hold their candidates accountable, and offers the issues and actions highlighted in this letter for use by the public as benchmarks for each aspiring Member of Parliament and Senator over the next five years.

“We will continue to educate and engage with citizens to increase their responsible involvement in governance, including what they should expect of their elected officials and how to distinguish between an unrealistic idea and a sensible strategy.”

Many of the policies detailed by ORG have been debated, identified and suggested by successive administrations, or are included in the major parties’ 2021 campaign manifestos. They include adopting the National Development Plan, largely shelved by the Minnis administration, as the “apolitical” road for guiding comprehensive reform - something the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has committed to.

Full enactment of the Freedom of Information Act, and passage of the Integrity Commission Bill and Ombudsman’s Bill, which are all issues dear to ORG, are also listed. The group is also calling for a Public Service Act “that more clearly distinguishes the oversight and management roles between ministers and senior government officials”, while also establishing performance-based benchmarks for civil servants.

Fixed election dates; term limits for Prime Ministers; campaign finance reforms; and an independent Boundaries Commission are some of the pledges made by previous administrations but never delivered upon, with ORG also calling for passage of a Patient’s Rights Bill.

The group’s economic reform plans largely called for the next administration to follow through on initiatives that are either in play or have long been discussed, such as energy reform (talked about for at least 15-16 years); development of a National Land Use Plan; and committing “to a publicly available plan to reduce the burden of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs on the public purse with clear benchmarks and timelines”.

It also suggested that the next government “link unemployed persons receiving National Insurance Board (NIB) and other government benefits with opportunities to upskill and perform volunteer service with community-based not for profits and faith-based organisations”.

Mr Aubry told Tribune Business that ORG’s “open letter” was intended to obtain commitments from aspiring political leaders to “specifically identify priorities and actions”. Should they be elected, and their party win the Government, this would “accelerate” momentum for change. He added: “The hope is they become a key item in their playbook and reminder of what needs to be done.

“There’s a lot in progress. The encouraging thing is many of these things are in the works, and they may have been in the works for the last two administrations. They should be things that are realistic, achievable and bring results in the short to medium-term. 

“Any group that gets in and which is committed to these, hopefully in a short time they will show obvious demonstrable change that shapes where we go in the future.” Mr Aubry said many of these ideas had already been vetted and approved by the likes of the Chamber of Commerce; Bahamas Bar Association; Civil Society Bahamas; the National Development Plan and Economic Recovery Committee (ERC).

“A lot of the work has been done. It’s really how we ensure the execution,” he added. “It requires some very clear short-term action.” Praising the PLP for pledging to introduce anti-corruption legislation within 100 days of taking office, the ORG executive director said it would be even stronger if the specific Bills were detailed along with timelines for their passage, and how they would be vetted and consulted upon with the wider public.

This, Mr Aubry said, was how promises were converted into “a more specific plan” that will allow Bahamians to hold their leaders to account. “They cannot sit in a queue too long or you will miss the opportunity,” he added. “The election is crucial, but the day after is even more important. We want to be thinking about after this moment in time: What happens after the election?”

Pledging that ORG and other like-minded groups will “be at the doorstep” of the new government “the day after the election to identify and prioritise key issues”, Mr Aubry said: “By publishing this our hope is that it creates a dialogue that starts to move from promise to plan....

“It’s a particularly complex and challenging environment, and no one would have expected a double crises would be something the Government would have to contend with but we’re in the position where that’s current and the failure to address some governance challenges has put us in a more difficult place.

“The lack of movement on these long-standing governance, economic and education issues has been further compounded, and cannot be pushed down the road any longer,” he added. “We have to set a course, which will not be quick and easy, but one we have to follow through to a long-term solution.

“We cannot keep tacking this way and that, and have to deal with the waves that come, but it has to be understood, achievable and supported. This is an important time to see where we’re going to go, and hopefully it levels off if not improves. Down cannot be an option.”

Calling on the election candidates “to publicly commit to actionable, realistic and sustainable reform on areas that have long prohibited the forward development and progress of The Bahamas”, ORG said this was “vitally necessary to achieving a thriving Bahamas where accountable and transparent governance allows every citizen, business and group a meaningful say in decisions that affect their future while being provided equal access to opportunities”.

It added: “Despite acknowledgement of the need for improvement in accountability, transparency, effectiveness and efficiency in governance by subsequent administrations, there remains significant long-standing issues.

“While ORG acknowledges that some progress has been made, the status quo in governance and politics has not been able to sufficiently address these problems and has, in fact, created massive inefficiencies by perpetuating sub-standard governance practices.

“The ‘behind closed doors’, ultra-political environment that has prevailed for years does not support the creation and completion of modern, open, inclusive, data-driven, long-term solutions and policies which are necessary for the positive and sustainable future of The Bahamas.”

Solving these issues that “plague” The Bahamas, ORG said, “should not be seen simply as issues to be solved as part of a partisan agenda. They affect every segment of the nation, and their resolution will require commitment, action and sacrifice from all who call The Bahamas home regardless of party affiliation”.