Governance: Where are we?

In 1964, The Bahamas moved to ministerial government with, Sir Roland Symonette becoming its first Premier. This arrangement lasted nine years and in less than a decade The Bahamas gained its independence with Sir Lynden Pindling becoming the first Prime Minister.

This political change coupled with outstanding economic growth and development as a result of an expanding Tourism Sector and a burgeoning Financial Services Sector created a new society. Over the past three and a half decades, The Bahamas has become cosmopolitan in its make-up and outlook, and an upwardly society with a thriving middle class.

Independence ushered in a new set of challenges. Many of these challenges have not been addressed in the past thirty odd years; there are three decade old problems facing The Bahamas today. These are the types of issues which are negatively impacting governance in this archipelago.

The Bahamas inherited the colonial system of governance which included institutions which were established to facilitate the objectives of a colonial government. Today, the colonial system and institutions still dominate the governmental architecture in The Bahamas. This is reflected in the approach to the provision of services in the Public Sector. The thirty odd years of Independence have demonstrated that the system and institutions are not meeting the needs of The Bahamas today hence the high level of inefficiency in much of the Public Sector and the services which are being provided.

Recently the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Farquharson stated that the system of criminal justice was adversely affecting the police in the execution of its duties. He was making specific reference to the fact that individuals who were charged with murder and other serious crimes were out on bail and were responsible for the upsurge in criminal activity in New Providence and Grand Bahama communities. This scenario has compounded the situation.

This Commissioner is not the only Commissioner who had to face this problem. It is not a new situation. An element in this could be the Royal Bahamas Police Force itself.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force is a colonial creature. It was a hybrid type of institution combining military discipline with a civilian type organization thereby making it a paramilitary body.

Today and since Independence, The Bahamas has a military arm in the Royal Bahamas Defense Force. The Royal Bahamas Police Force needs to shed its military trappings and become a modern force with a civilian modus operandi. Consideration should be given to modeling a Bahamian Police Force along the lines of the Dade County Police Force.

There are several other instances where transformation and modernization of agencies in the Public Sector should take place in order to meet the challenges, which came with Independence. If these agencies are not transformed or modernized the "system" will continue to be the problem as the Commissioner of Police enunciated.

Public Sector agencies and institutions which are products of the Colonial era are curtailing the growth and development of The Bahamas. For years there have been discussions on the need for Public Sector reform, yet no government has had fortitude to do what needs to be done to modernize this element of our governance.