Thousands of Haitians and Haitian-Bahamians flocked to the Church of God Auditorium on Joe Farrington Road on February 7 to hear from Haitian President Michel 'Sweet Micky' Martelly. It was his first stop during a two-day visit to The Bahamas, which was primarily to rebrand Haiti as a nation ripe for investment and full of opportunities. However, Martelly's address to his countrymen sparked controversy when he urged members of the Haitian community in The Bahamas to align themselves with the political party that would best serve their interests.

His statement came amid high political tension weeks before the general election. "I told them to organize themselves and identify in the upcoming elections who is on their side," the Haitian president said. "That way they can become a force. By being unified in the elections they might have people taking care of them. This is the democratic way." Martelly also said he heard reports of Haitians being mistreated in The Bahamas, and lamented the plight of "stateless" people who have to wait until their 18th birthday to apply for Bahamian citizenship even though they were born in this country.

What was intended as a visit to encourage foreign investment and improve the ties between the two countries ignited public discourse on illegal immigration and granting of citizenship. Members of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) also took issue with Martelly's remarks. Then Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham was accused of inviting the Haitian president to the country for political gain, although Ingraham refuted this claim.

Radio talk shows were flooded with calls from angry Bahamians, many of whom claimed Martelly's comments would encourage newly regularized Bahamians to vote for the governing Free National Movement. Amid the controversy, the Embassy of Haiti issued a statement assuring that the president's visit to The Bahamas was to highlight the importance of making inroads toward improving relations between the two countries, and not to sway the electorate toward a particular party.

Martelly's comments woke up some deep nationalistic passions in this country. Following his short visit, Ingraham said the Haitian president was mistaken when he said people born in The Bahamas to Haitians are "stateless", although Ingraham said that Martelly was entitled to encourage former Haitian citizens to form a voting bloc. "Such persons are not stateless; they have the nationality of their parents," said Ingraham during a press conference in North Andros on February 11.

"Our constitution is different from the Haitians' and different from the Americans'. So I think that Mr. Martelly was mistaken in thinking that our position is identical to Haiti or indeed the United States because persons born in the Unites States become citizens at birth." After leaving The Bahamas, Martelly continued his appeal to the international community that Haiti is no longer looking for aid but wants to forge new ties in trading.

On October 15, voters in North Abaco elected island native Renardo Curry as their new member of Parliament. The choice closed the door on the Ingraham era and solidified the strong support the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) had galvanized. The road to the by-election was a bitter one. There were accusations of victimization against the governing PLP, a Curry family feud and several gaffes by Free National Movement (FNM) candidate Greg Gomez.

When the ballots were counted, Curry bested Gomez by 854 votes. Bahamas Constitution Party Leader S. Ali McIntosh, the third candidate, got only seven votes. The defeat was a blow to the FNM, which was struggling after a crushing general election defeat in May. The party was also trying to find its footing under a new leader, Killarney MP Dr. Hubert Minnis. On the night of the general election, Ingraham, the outgoing prime minister, set the stage for the by-election.

As he conceded defeat, he told supporters that he would not take his seat in Parliament and would resign as leader of the FNM. The PLP's choice for the by-election race was an obvious one. Curry put up an impressive fight against Ingraham in the general election, losing by nearly 400 votes. For the FNM, the choice was not as easy. On July 19, Ingraham delivered his resignation letter to Speaker of the House Dr. Kendal Major. It was the date he had originally given for his resignation to take effect -- the day marked the anniversary of his first election to Parliament. But Ingraham put off his resignation until August 31.

This delay gave Gomez a chance to meet the constitutional residency requirement to hold a seat in Parliament. Up until August 2011, Gomez lived in the United States but he needed to reside in the country for at least a year to be eligible to sit in Parliament. His absence from The Bahamas would be a focal point in the campaign and some in the PLP painted him as a "stranger" to North Abaco.

As the FNM fought the government's well-oiled machinery, Gomez in an interview with The Nassau Guardian, seemed unprepared and was unable to answer basic questions about his past. The missteps derailed his campaign and embarrassed his party. Two weeks before the vote, Curry's stepmother Phillipa Rolle-Curry accused the PLP of victimizing her husband, Curry's father, and said he died from the resulting stress. Curry and the PLP strongly denied her claims.

After Curry's win, Minnis declared that the Ingraham-era was over. "I wish him luck in his future endeavors," said Minnis after the unofficial results came in. "But his era is over. That's it for him." He added: "There is only going to be one leader going forward." Minnis also blamed the governing party's "unethical" campaign ploys for the FNM's loss. Ingraham also said he heard of "numerous instances of unfair practices by the PLP and its agents during this campaign". The October race marked the third consecutive election loss for the FNM since 2010.

The developer behind a proposed mega development on Grand Bahama has hired a well-known architectural firm to plan and design the multi-billion-dollar project. Following several meetings in New York City, international investors carried on to Las Vegas and met with key members of a growing management team. According to sources familiar with the matter, Friedmutter Group, an architectural firm behind major casino projects in North America and the Far East, has signed on to oversee the design of several hotels, a cruise ship terminal, airport, medical facility and a holistic boutique hospital in Blackwood Point.

"It's really a magnificent undertaking," Brad Friedmutter, the president, confirmed to Guardian Business. "The spirit of the place is to create a destination. People are very discerning and how we spend our money is more important than ever. We want a place that competes with any other, especially when you're dealing with a global visitor." The full team also reflects this international focus. Friedmutter Group is reportedly joined by Grand Bahama's Lewis Architectural Service, DeSimmone Structural Engineering and Jianke Architecture Company from Shanghai, China.

Details from one of the project's chief visionaries comes shortly after Prime Minister Perry Christie and key members of his Cabinet met with more than a dozen executives behind the Grand Bahama development. Among the stakeholders are world-famous brands such as The Plaza, best known for its iconic hotel in New York City, and Cipriani, a leader in elite restaurants, residences and other hospitality services.

Sources close to the matter said last Friday that robust talks continue between government officials and top Blackwood Point executives. For his part, Friedmutter said that the most recent meeting in Las Vegas was primarily to review the site plans and get all partners on the same page. W.A. Richardson, a specialist in the development, design and construction of casino resorts, has also joined the management team.

Similar to Baha Mar, the $3.5 billion mega development in Nassau, the Blackwood Point project will be headlined by a large casino hotel consisting of around 1,500 rooms. With sixteen properties under its belt, W.A. Richardson was acquired by MGM Resorts International in 2005. "For us, the company and myself personally, it is an incredible opportunity. It also helps the overall economy of Grand Bahama," Friedmutter said. "So the sheet size and magnitude is incredible."

Another major player in the management team, Guardian Business has learned, is Larry Lewin, a senior executive and strategist in the international gaming industry. Former Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission John O'Reilly has also signed on as a consultant. Earlier this month, former Cabinet minister Ken Russell, who is also a top executive behind the project, said it would be "bigger than Baha Mar", in the sense that it would turn around an island in dire need of capital investment.

Since coming into power last May, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has pledged a turnaround in Grand Bahama and even appointed a specific Cabinet position to this end. The struggling island has suffered from high double-digit unemployment for years, although Grand Bahama's current tourism leader, the Grand Lucayan, has shown signs of life through a recent partnership with Canadian giant Sunwing.

Principals behind this latest proposition believe they are aiming even higher. "For Grand Bahama, this will be bigger than Baha Mar, in terms of the impact on the island. It will take us back in history to a point where we had 100 percent employment there," Russell told Guardian Business.

Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage is expected to announce the specific gambling referendum questions in a national address Tuesday night, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe told The Nassau Guardian yesterday. Wilchcombe has ministerial oversight for gaming. "Right now the questions are ready," he said. "The minister of national security, he should be announcing those I think maybe Tuesday night.

They are ready, but Dr. Bernard Nottage is responsible for it." Wilchcombe said Nottage was in charge of releasing the questions because elections and referendums fall under his national security portfolio. The referendum is set for January 28. It is expected to ask Bahamians if they are in favor of a national lottery and if they support the legalization and taxation of web shops. Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis yesterday criticized the government for taking so long to release the specific questions.

He said even though the government delayed the referendum from December 3 to January 28, voters were no better educated on the implications of their votes. "In a democratic process, I think it's unfair to ask individuals to vote on a particular issue where up to today they have not received the questions," Minnis said. "They don't know what they are going to be voting on." He added: "The questions should be out in a timely manner so that they would have sufficient time to be educated on the decision that they are making.

"I don't think there has been enough time for a democratic educational process. Nothing happened over the Christmas. The new year is coming in; you now have [30] days." He again said the government should have appointed an independent commission to set the parameters for the referendum process, including when the questions are released and making sure the public is adequately informed on the matter.

Although his party has opposed the referendum process, Minnis said the FNM will not tell people how to vote. However, he said the party will advocate for as much information as possible before voters go to the polls. Minnis said the FNM had not been consulted on the questions.

Prime Minister Perry Christie has said he would meet with stakeholders to give input on the questions before they are made public. Nearly two weeks ago, Christie met with a small group of pastors. After that meeting, Rev. Philip McPhee, one of the pastors present, said the prime minister revealed the two referendum questions to the group.