NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – Opposition Leader, Michael Pintard, has criticized the government over its failure to consult the opposition before announcing that Nassau would be sending at least 150 troops to Haiti as part of an international peacekeeping force in the troubled French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
However, unlike former prime minister Dr. Hubert Minnis, who has called for a parliamentary debate on the issue, Pintard told reporters that the main opposition Free National Movement (FNM), is not against sending the troops to Port au Prince.
“The prime minister must apprise the opposition to consult with us regarding his intentions,” Pintard told reporters.
“We have demonstrated a willingness to put what is in the common interests of The Bahamas above partisan politics, and we are disappointed that it does not occur to the prime minister that he ought to speak with the opposition.
“He ought to apprise the general public of the facts that he has that the rest of us do not have that’s motivating him to make the decision,” the Opposition Leader added.
Last weekend, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) group welcomed the announcement by The Bahamas and Jamaica that they are willing to join Kenya in sending a multinational force to deal with the security situation in Haiti.
The Bahamas and Jamaica said they are willing to send up to 350 personnel to Haiti after Kenya’s Foreign Minister, Alfred Mutua, said late last month that his country’s commitment is to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police to restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations.
Last year, Haiti’s Prime Minister, Dr. Ariel Henry, sent an urgent appeal to the UN asking for “the immediate deployment of a specialized armed force, in sufficient quantity” to stop gang warfare.
Last month, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the UN Security Council and significant potential contribution countries to act fast to create the conditions for deploying a multinational force to Haiti.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Monday said persistent violence in Haiti remains a significant concern for the safety and welfare of its most vulnerable citizens, especially women, and children, citing reports of an “alarming spike” in kidnapping and other crimes.
The leader of the Coalition of Independents, Lincoln Bain, is questioning the number of personnel being sent to Haiti.
“Sending 150 troops to Haiti is out of order. We should not be sending our Bahamian troops. What we should be doing is securing our borders,” he told the Tribune newspaper.
“The government says we’re doing all that we can here. They can’t control the situation here in The Bahamas. Why would you send some of our reinforcements to Haiti, where it’s wasted?
“We need those 150 on our sea. We need them at our borders. We need them to process illegal immigration. We need them home. And we should not put our Bahamians at risk for another man’s country who doesn’t seem to care about his own country,” he added.
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