Organizers of the Vote No campaign decried a march on Parliament by web shop bosses and workers yesterday as an affront to law and order. They said they were offended the group had the audacity to parade in front of Parliament. The organizers also questioned why police allowed them to thumb their noses at law enforcement. Kevin Harris, public relations coordinator for Vote No, said the march will give drug dealers and other criminals the expectation of a pardon from arrest and prosecution for crimes.
"What was allowed to happen today will be tremendously difficult to reverse in the minds of everyone who says, 'If you give Flowers and Sebas a pass, you better have mine ready'," said Harris at a press conference at Grace Community Church. He was referring to FML Group of Companies CEO Craig Flowers and Island Luck CEO Sebas Bastian who joined hundreds on the march. Harris said the Vote Yes public relations team was trying to portray the group as upstanding citizens.
"They are not," he said. "They have decided to break the law and we should give them a pass because they got plenty money?" Harris also called on Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade to arrest web shop bosses. "Please find the person who has been assigned the job as commissioner of police because other police commissioners are asking and scratching their heads; how could people who are breaking the law openly march downtown, take over your Parliament Square, declare, touch me if you can?" he asked.
Lyall Bethel, pastor of Grace Community Church, said the web shop bosses have "unleashed a spirit of lawlessness that has to be checked". "The commissioner of police must step forward, arrest, show that he is in charge of law enforcement in this country, not Flowers, not Sebas Bastian. . they're not in charge." He urged Bahamians to use the democratic process to ensure the country does not regain a reputation for glorifying law breaking.
Bethel also called on all Christians who may have gambled or are involved in web shop businesses to repent and change their ways. Members of Vote No appealed to like-minded voters to come out to the polls on Monday and make their voices heard. Rev. Dr. Ranford Patterson, head of the Christian Council, said he hoped a poor voter turnout from the advanced poll would not be an indication of next Monday's showing. "We want to encourage Bahamians from Inagua to Grand Bahama who are incensed by the law breaking that is taking place in our country to get up and go to the polls on Monday and vote," he said.
"We really don't know what's going to happen on Monday and I hope that [the advanced poll is] not an indication of who is going to come to the polls. We are expecting that the Bahamian population will come out in full force and cast their vote." Vote No will continue its campaign in several Family Islands today. The group has also planned a rally on R.M. Bailey Park in New Providence on Friday to detail seven reasons to vote no. It will also host a motorcade throughout New Providence on Saturday. Vote Yes will host a party at Arawak Cay tomorrow night. The referendum is set for Monday, January 28.
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