Worth a read: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202…

That requires a referendum. DOA

We haven't forgotten the PLP tricks in the last two referenda

change just for sake of change... whats the point?

Agree. No sense of switching to another toothless President with a PM who is a constitutional dictator as we have now.

Tear up the 1973 Constitution and set up a federal system with a President and unicameral Parliament. The Family Islands need some real local government.

Totally agree. Before any talk of change to a republic I want to hear specific, measurabe, sensible, meaningful, progressive reforms that are supposed to occur and by what date. Department of corrections is still giving inmates slop buckets, nothing corrective about that, its the same "Fox Hill Prison" with a fancy name

You can pilfer more from the people without oversight.

They are holding back 40% 0f company VAT refunds because there are companies not paying VAT. What sense is this.

A country whose people are FORBIDDEN from knowing what happens to the tax monies they are REQUIRED to pay, has neither the intelligence nor the morality to be a Republic.

Our government needs so many more reforms done than having another elected joke of an official. Changing to a republic will solve none of our current problems. Please focus on other reforms. Waste of time and money, holding referendums and possibly switching to a republic. All this can do is give a useful distractions to our current problems for politicians.

God help our Bahamas....

Why bother holding a referendum? It is quite clear that our opinion wont be respected anyways.

The last thing we need is a referendum on a republic. Why should our Bahamas join the failed third world republic club?We have an excellent parliamentary system with British-style courts and a neutral Bahamian Governor-General above politics. This system works very well in Canada, Australia,New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries.It attracts needed investment here. Why should we throw all of that away? We have too many other immediate problems before tackling unnecessary issues.

Do you call our system "excellent"????

Pindling and his cronies knew just how to manipulate the Constitution so that he and his protoges would stay in power, uncontested by the people and bastardized by crooked, corrupt MPs in the House of Assembly. We are reaping that right now.

Agreed Alan 1 … let us try to reverse our decline and strive for Western 1st World, not trigger free fall to join 3rd World Republics.

Maybe figure out how to feed yourself first before worrying about becoming a republic.

Our politicians love to talk about this, How many millions they have earmarked for tiefing I mean farming?

I wish we could have a national referendum on the removal of Davis as PM and Cooper as DPM. That would certainly be a much more worthwhile referendum.

The referendum was held last year on Minnis.
Bahamians voted for worse. Just too bad.

We vote for the leaders of parties now, almost like a President in a republic. That is because we have little confidence that the MPs will stand up and represent their constituents, and not their selfish ambitions. That is the failure of our system - MPs who serve their party leaders.

No PM since SLOP could ever be labelled as more evil, arrogant, corrupt, and incompetent than Tyrant Minnis. But the very cruel, sinister, corrupt, and incompetent Davis is certainly well on his way to snatching from Vomit Christie the runner-up award for 'Worst Ever PM'. And as we all came to learn, Hubigitty Ingraham is almost as vindictive and arrogant as Tyrant Minnis.

Amen to that!

By any number of metrics, The Bahamas has gone backwards after almost 50 years of independence? Why not go the whole hog and become a Republic? That will help, lol. Davis is playing to the gallery again. Why doesn't he try to be a leader for once instead of a politician?

During the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge visit in March of this year Brave Davis was quoted as saying;
“As we approach almost 50 years of sovereignty, the United Kingdom continues to be one of our closest friends and allies. Honourable members may not be aware that, each year when hurricanes threaten us, the United Kingdom continues to provide essential support by following hurricanes with British Navy vessels, to provide vital rescue and relief efforts."

One has to wonder what will be the state of this relationship if we move to a Republic and the UK no longer has any obligation to a country that told them to carry their ass.

our politicians have very short memories! They cannot see all the advantages of being COMMONWEALTH of the Bahamas.

when Andrew hit Eleuthera, the first ships and crew to arrive were from the UK
and a British infantry contingent flew in from Belize.

It won't make a difference either way until Bahamians start to think my Bahamas and not I'm PLP, FNM, or any other political party.

The divisive questions some just are not wantin' be asked that beg answers to skipped over common sense. like: ... (1). Why didn't the Tribune publish for 'ordinary popoulaces' readin' the text as read by Papa Hubert of the proclamation in Parliament Square Sunday on behalf of Governor General Sir Cornelius Smith, **proclaiming King Charlie III King** reign over the colony? (2). Where's the proof supporrtin' **there is a pushup challenge** by the realm's 1200 rocks 'ordinary popoulaces' were in fact seekin' a process stating that the colony of 1200 rocks **relationship England is in need to be urgently annulled?** (3), Shouldn't such a heavy **sudden call displacement of a colony''s new monarch** not have first to have been run by a full-time governor-general? and (4). Before premiership's lone desire resutin' in promising the askin' of a **politically motivated, funded and run out of the premiership's office turned into a political colour t-shirt question** to an electorate 'ordinary popoulaces' not first has been put to a ""free vote** on the floors the House and Red Chamber? ... Long live King Comrade Charlie III as was duly proclaimed by Cooper Town's Comrade Papa Hubert ― Yes?

Lol, before we even think about become a republic can we at least have a senate where 9 out of the 16 seats aren't picked by the PM. Like what is the senate for, is it a rubberstamp club.

Local government on NP and increases of power for Family Island Local Gov. It would be nice if we had a city government to clean the mess downtown that we are always promised about.

Also lets get rid of First Past the Post, one of the most undemocratic electoral systems in the world. It only in encourages a 2 party state, of course the PLP and FNM won't let it happen.

Pindling put ALL of that in place in 1973.

Things won't change before Nassau's airport isn't renamed.

Flyingfist wants to get rid of the first past the post electoral system because it results in a 2-party political system, A little learning is a dangerous thing. The English 2-party system of governing has worked better than all else for hundreds of years. Getting rid of it for proportional representation instead will always result in a weak government coalition of several different parties. Such a government has difficulty getting any effective legislation passed without compromises that undermine its effectiveness. There are several examples of this over the past 50 years or so.

It is not a black and white choice between FPTP and pure PR. We can easily have a STV or ranked choice system, which I think would help third parties gain representation at some point.

Had to do a double-take on the photo with Michael Barnett in it. At first take, I thought he was Labour Director Robert Farquharson.

You know it's not going' painfully unnoticeable how Comrade Sheeprunner12, staunch defender Long Island's MP, would even attempt to use this new King opportunity to post his twisting the many accomplishments are justly attributed directly to the late premiership 1930 Nassau native son born Lynden Oscar Pindling ... whilst ignoring' that it was under he who is regarded as the "Father of the quasi-Nation Colony" that semi-successfully lead the transition was to free a popoulaces' from living' as **'Subjects'** under direct English monarch's rule ― Yes?

How come HAM is not in this photo?

@ Realthinker,now after some realthinking' ... nor has the Red Party's Opposition Leader Comrade "Sister" Loretta Butler-Turner been given her due appearance in the photo ― Yes?

Watch and see….as a republic we will be delude enough to think we are truly independent…and as such we will sign agreements in the Caribbean and or Americas, that compromise our ability to trade freely, as they did in the EU, and then hand over our legal rights, as they did in the EU, and before you know it we are no longer independent but are part of a new “Union”unable to govern ourselves, until, under our new dictators we are a Global Union! Either way….it’s all the same.

LOL......Total steaming horse nanny!