Former Cabinet minister Paul Adderley will be laid to rest after a state funeral at Christ Church Cathedral this morning, but after viewing the former attorney general's body lying in state in the foyer of the House of Assembly yesterday, Prime Minister Perry Christie said he will ensure his legacy lives on. Christie, a close friend of Adderley, said his contribution to Bahamian politics and democracy should not be forgotten.
"He has been such a great Bahamian in so many different ways that the magnitude and diversity of his impact is so profoundly important," said Christie. "It would be a tragedy if we [did] not build on what I will say tomorrow towards having a full account of his life, the life of his forebears." He said the government plans to honor Adderley's memory but will leave the final decision to the Steering Committee for the 40th anniversary of independence. "It's going to be very important that we do that," the prime minister said.
"Whether that's one of the notes in the currency of The Bahamas, whether it's a statue, naming some street or building, those are things that are best left to people who are not as close to him as I was to think [about]." Other parliamentarians, friends and family members viewed Adderley's body yesterday. Former Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont remembered Adderley as a gentleman with a passion for golf. She said her late husband, Reginald Dumont, and Adderley were long-time golf partners.
"Paul's always been a very quiet person," she told reporters, moments after she viewed his body. "I remember him as being kind, and also as being thorough in whatever he did. "He has lived a wonderful, full life. I'm sure his family will miss him but we learn to adjust to these things because they are inevitable," said Dame Ivy, who first met Adderley in 1942. Adderley, 84, one of the framers of the Bahamas constitution, died in hospital on September 19 due to complications from a long illness.
Adderley held various posts in the Pindling Cabinet; he served as minister of national security, minister of education, minister of foreign affairs and minister of finance. He was attorney general for 17 years. Adderley was first elected to Parliament in 1961 and remained a representative until 1967. In 1967 Adderley left the Progressive Liberal Party to start the National Development Party. He returned to the PLP in 1972 and remained a member until his death. After he left frontline politics he remained active in national development. He was co-chairman of the first Constitutional Commission appointed by Christie and was the PLP's legal counsel on many issues.
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