Another delay of the promised constitutional referendum would not be a life or death issue, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts said yesterday.
Roberts said he is confident the government will hold the referendum in this term and was unmoved by criticism over the issue.
He was responding to Free National Movement (FNM) Senator Carl Bethel who said the government lacks legislative focus and expressed disappointment that it may delay the referendum.
"Whenever the government schedules it, that's fine with me," said Roberts when contacted for comment.
"It's up to the government. It's not a life or death issue."
Chairman of the Constitutional Commission Sean McWeeney has said the government may have to delay the planned constitutional referendum on gender equality for a third time.
Roberts accused Bethel of engaging in a political tit for tat.
"Obviously the government he was a part of, until he got dumped, they were like a leaf in the wind," Roberts said. "They blew from left to right and what did they do?"
He said too many people are putting a negative spin on what the government is trying to do in the country.
Bethel, who is a member of the Constitutional Commission, said the government needs to get its act together on a number of issues.
He accused the government of "doing an extraordinary disservice to the Bahamian people".
Last October, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced the constitutional referendum would take place before the end of June 2014 after a public education campaign.
Christie said constitutional bills would be brought to Parliament before the end of 2013 and passed by February 2014.
The bills have not yet been introduced in Parliament and the public education campaign has not started.
McWeeney said the commission is expected to meet in the next few days to finalize the bills and present them to Cabinet.

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