The "right" answer was a Chapter 11 proceeding under a well tested set of laws that permit proper administration of a work out.

That would have permitted the project to proceed; the employees, both Bahamian and foreign to be paid; and, the local Bahamian creditors to be paid in an orderly fashion.

The only parties who would be prejudiced in such a proceeding would be CGA which would have been required to defend shoddy construction and serial breaches of contract, and any corrupt politicians who had dipped into the pot of money CGA was pulling out of the project for a share of the spoils.

Why was this procedure rejected out of hand? You figure it out.

The government has painted itself into a corner. Clearly the "liquidation route" is nothing but a prescription for the end of Baha Mar and years, and years of futile litigation. Anyone with a wit of experience would have seen that from the outset.

The Chapter 11 proceeding supervised by the U.S. courts, would have been the best solution to get the resort up and running, but either ego, or fear of the exposure of corruption made that a "no go".

Now we have a court proceeding underway, and parties who are locked in a "wait and see" mode, hoping they will get some negotiating leverage out of the process. This is clearly the worst case scenario for the Bahamas and the thousands of Bahamians who are economic hostages to the achievement of a rational resolution.

Frankly I don't see how the government gets itself out of this mess. It's way too late to start posturing about withdrawing the liquidation action. What about all the creditors who have sued the various entities developing the enterprise. Will all of them hold off for the time it takes for a rational plan be worked out? That is what Chapter 11 is all about, and the Bahamas has no comparable legal framework that can permit a quick resolution while the enterprise moves forward.

In summary a totally unnecessary mess. Something about Humpty Dumpty comes to mind.

This kind of totally nonsensical announcement suggests just how clueless the government operatives are in this circumstance. The "liquidator" has no competence to run a multi-billion dollar casino/resort enterprise. The experts that were hired to run it have been sent off island, something that would not have happened in a Chapter 11 workout.

This project has been set back so far at this juncture, that absent a deal being struck imminently, this complex will not open for more than a year, even if someone competent can be found to come in and run it. The Chinese construction company and/or bank surely do not possess that capability. It will have to be one of the three or four worldwide, recognized, casino resort expert developers. Why would any one of them want to step into this mess.

U.S. Chapter 11 was the only hope for the workers and the Bahamian economy, and it has been impetuously tossed aside.

What exactly is electronic monitoring? It appears that persons being "electronically monitored" are involved in a very high percentage of crime here, either as perpetrator or victim. Who is doing the monitoring? Does the monitoring work? Does anyone ever have bail revoked for violation of monitoring rules? Is this just a joke?

Hilarious. Thanks

The issue Mr. Smith highlights in his commentary is no light matter. Mr. Mitchell is without question using the tactics of totalitarian governments to attempt to silence what heretofore was a right to free, unfettered political speech, in the Bahamas.

The facile attempts to step aside from this atrocious breach of faith with the Bahamian people by the Prime Minister, by simply saying such comments do not reflect government policy, is totally inadequate.

When a member of government with an important ministerial portfolio threatens citizens and residents left and right with police investigations and deportation, it does chill free speech.

Where does the PLP stand on this issue?????

Shane conducts psychological examinations of applicants for permanent residence on a bed, after they gift him expensive wrist watches.

Fred forms his views about how a free, democratic, society works by observing first hand his pals in Cuba.

Fine bunch to be running the Bahamas.

I seem to remember that Shane likes to do his psychological examination of potential permanent residents on a bed, but only after, as an expression of good family friendship, they have given him an expensive wrist watch.

Perhaps that is the kind of psychological examination he is promoting.

You can't make this up. The P.M. is criticizing "policy makers"????

This is the same fellow who dictatorially runs the party in power which screwed up the privatization of BEC for years in a purely politically motivated, phony side show about getting 51% public ownership, when everyone knows that public ownership was and is the whole problem here???

This is the guy who then, as if it was an afterthought, has screwed up the licensing of a competitor for BEC (the whole point behind privatization in the first place) by adding as a last minute afterthought, the condition that the government would have to own 51% of any new telecommunications entrant????

This guy is complaining that the Bahamas is way behind in broadband and telecommunications development. Does he think everyone is just plain stupid????

What a joke!!

Welcome to Fred, the Mugabe of the New World. Xenophobia has a price.