Dear Editor,
Once again I open my paper to find Prime Minister Perry Christie making irresponsible statements about the future of Baha Mar. You would think that with all that has happened over the past several months, he would have learned his lesson by now. But no, having claimed that he spent much of the holidays "working hard" on the matter, Christie tells The Nassau Guardian he now expects a "major move" to take place. As if the success or failure of the mega resort has anything to do with him.
Like a typical politician, Christie wants the public to believe that anything positive to come for the resort is all down to his efforts - as if he could suddenly, magically cause foreign billionaire investors to be interested in the project - while everything bad that has happened so far was someone else's fault. Sarkis Izmirlian, the Delaware court, Chinese Construction America - whoever, just not him.
In truth, as the prime minister full well knows, the fate of Baha Mar will be decided at levels far above his pay grade, by big time international players who either see a way to make a sustainable profit, or don't. Governments can help such a deal along by making sure the path to an agreement is not strewn with unnecessary red tape, but aside from that, they have very little to say here, especially since all the stakeholders know the Christie administration will happily take the first deal that comes along, simply to save face.
And anyway, with the damage his colleagues have already done to any prospects of a deal, threatening foreign investors and calling for their heads to be examined, one would think at this point, Christie would be content to just wait in the wings and let 'big people' hash this one out.
But no, the prime minister wants us to know that he sent a "very strong letter to the Export-Import Bank of China, setting out the fact that a very significant number of world-class operators have gotten involved and made applications for the property to assist to put money into the property, to bring it a conclusion in opening."
China Construction America (CCA) apparently has taken the position that they do not want to resume construction until they have paid their subcontractors, and Christie let them know that he is not "prepared to accept that those contractors would be paid less than a dollar for a dollar."
Well, I am sure that over at CCA and the Export-Import Bank, they are just quaking in their boots now!
Who does Christie think he is fooling? Everyone knows that having got deep, deep in bed with the Chinese, his administration is now way out of its league and can't tell this global behemoth anything. Why not simply admit that when it comes to the Chinese, Christie et al must simply do as they are told?
Christie has insisted over and over again that a speedy resolution of the Baha Mar debacle is on the horizon, as if he has access to some fortune-telling crystal ball that none of the rest of us can see.
In June he said he had received "good news" on the project, yet this too went up in smoke. Last month he was again optimistic. Still nothing. Christie should stop embarrassing himself, sit small and allow real players - the government of China and the global mega investors that have been really running our affairs for decades, with the help of our own political class - to sort this mess out.
- Hugh Blair
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