C M C M Y K Y K WEATHER TINGS TOUGH McDOUBLE FOR $3.79 HIGH 70F ANY TIME...ANY PLACE, WE’RE #1 LOW 57F The Tribune SUNNY AND BREEZY BAHAMAS EDITION www.tribune242.com Volume: 106 No.42 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2010 PRICE – 75¢ (Abaco and Grand Bahama $1.25) CARS FOR SALE, Bennett Davis S Spirits E S E R T D HELP WANTED adjusting well U I R T S O A N P I to Utah Flash E rejoice AND REAL ESTATE S F SEE ‘THE ARTS’ SECTION BAHAMAS BIGGEST SEE PAGE NINE PM ‘determined’ to have marital rape law debated in House By ALISON LOWE Tribune Staff Reporter [email protected] Tsunami scare THE Prime Minister is “deter- mined” to have parliamentarians debate the controversial amendment to the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act that would make rape within marriage illegal, a source close to him has revealed. The future of the controversial proposal to outlaw rape within mar- riage had been the subject of some uncertainty given the government’s decision not to move ahead with the amendment since it was introduced for Bahamas SEE page eight P A / Panic in Inagua after n e n i G e Haiti devastated by l e T o i d 7.0 scale earthquake a R By NOELLE NICOLLS Tribune Staff Reporter [email protected] INAGUA residents endured two hours of panic last night when the Bahamas was issued a tsunami watch just after 5pm yesterday. Res- Strong quake idents reported feeling strikes Haiti tremors from a major earth- quake occurring 10-miles vertigo, but nothing was rat- south-west of Haiti’s capital tling. We got a pretty good Port-au-Prince. foundation here at this place, The Meteorological Office but I definitely felt the ground issued a watch to residents in shake,” he said. the southern Bahamas to The National Oceanic and monitor coastal activities for Atmospheric Administration strong wave activity. (NOAA), an agency of the “People are very much con- United States Department of cerned because we are accus- Commerce, issued a six-hour tomed to hurricanes and we tsunami warning for the know what precautions to Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican take in a hurricane, but we Republic and Haiti in an have never had a tsunami emergency bulletin last night. warning before,” said Glenn They reported a 7.30 scale Bannister, Managing Direc- earthquake occurring at about tor, Morton Bahamas, who 5pm yesterday. It was later was startled by two jolts in reported that the quake was the ground in the aftermath 7.0. PEOPLE CARRY an injured person after the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, yesterday. of the earthquake. Calm was restored around “It looked to me like my head was spinning. It felt like SEE page 12 Developers ‘pull Ryan Pinder is ratified as the PLP’s back’ interest in Elizabeth nominee Norman’s Cay resort By PAUL G TURNQUEST the group sought to develop Tribune Staff Reporter an $80 million project on the [email protected] island with a multi-room X hotel, residential villas, and GIVEN the uncertainty a beach club with pool, spa, ELIZABETH in the present economic cli- and fitness centres. BY-ELECTION mate, the developers of the “There was a previous proposed Aman resort in heads of agreement with a TAX attorney Ryan Pin- Norman’s Cay, Exuma, developer involving the der was ratified last night have reportedly “pulled Aman Group for a touristic as the PLP’s nominee for back” in their interest with resort kind of development, the Elizabeth constituency, the development, Perma- there was a heads of agree- setting the stage for what nent Secretary in the Office ment, their leases signed and will be a hotly contested by- of the Prime Minister David the like. After the passage election beginning some- Davis revealed. of a number of years that time early next month. In his testimony before fell apart and we entered the House of Assembly’s into negotiations. Subse- Carrying the PLP’s ban- Select Committee on Crown quently I believe it would ner up against the FNM’s Land, Mr Davis said the be after May 2007 to try and Dr Duane Sands, Mr Pin- ATTORNEY Ryan Pinder Government had renegoti- bring that project back on der beat out a number of ated a new heads of agree- track and at the time our other contenders within his he could to bring the seat ments with the Aman view was that the heads of own party to gain the nom- home to the Progressive Group for their touristic agreement and the leases ination for the Elizabeth Liberal Party and provide development on the once and the like had fallen seat. the representation that “the infamous island that was away,” Mr Davis said. At 35 years of age, Mr people” deserve. home to Colombian drug Therefore, the govern- Pinder was humbled last Bahamas Democratic lord Carlos “Joe” Ledher. night to learn that he had leader Cassius Stuart offi- In their initial proposal, SEE page 12 gained the nomination, cially announced his inten- vowing that he would do all tion to run next week. NASSAU AND BAHAMA ISLANDS’ LEADING NEWSPAPER C M C M Y K Y K PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2010 THE TRIBUNE LOCAL NEWS UTEB/COB COVERAGE Police Union claims students have become victims of process division shakeup COBUS disgusted with Several district police stations across the country saw a change in leadership this week after a series of transfers were ordered by the new commissioner of police, sources told The state of negotiations PRESIDENT OF UTEB Jennifer Isaacs Dotson briefs Tribune. the media on the demonstration. Inspector Kelly Mackey, By AVA TURNQUEST ments but we believe that no staff officer in the commis- [email protected] dispute should be regarded as sioner’s office, confirmed too big that conflict resolu- the tip yesterday, adding THE College of the tion strategies could not be that the force is “in a tran- Bahamas Union of Students utilised so as not to disfran- sition period” at the said its members are “dis- chise the students, inhibiting moment. heartened and disgusted” them from attaining their Inspector Mackey with the state of negotiations financed and valuable educa- declined to comment fur- between the faculty and tion. A win-win solution for ther, and pointed out that administration at the college, all is possible if all parties try.” information on the trans- claiming that the students COBUS said its members fers had not been officially wish to remain neutral in the have now become victims of released. the process. negotiation process and advised all students to do the Superintendent In a press release issued Stephanie Demerit, for- yesterday, COBUS expressed same. its distaste for the “drastic merly the officer in charge measures” taken by the Abstain of the Wulff Road Police Union of Tertiary Educators Station, has been trans- ferred to the Mobile Patrol of the Bahamas (UTEB) on The statement said: Monday, which led to the can- “Regrettably, we have decid- Division, The Tribune was cellation of several classes. ed to abstain from involve- told. Superintendent A COBUS said UTEB’s deci- ment in this demonstration Greenslade, the new Wulff sion to disrupt the regular and we advise that students Road chief, was trans- functioning of the college and follow the same measure. ferred from the Mobile hold classes outside was an However, we want to thank Division. indication that students are all those lecturers that valued Superintendent David not the primary concern of the education of the students Deveaux is the new officer the faculty – but rather “a last enough to attend classes as COB STUDENTS in charge of the Southern resort to obtaining personal scheduled. looks on at this Division, having been vendettas.” “We respect persons as week’s demon- transferred this week from The students’ union said such and we applaud them in stration goes on. that the faculty and adminis- the Eastern Division. their efforts of maintaining Superintendent Christo- tration should not allow their professionalism. animosity to “stifle and derail pher Pickstock, former “We want the parties Southern Division chief, the progress of the student’s involved to always remember educational process.” that the success of students is was transferred to Grand COBUS said: “We under- the great reward of the col- Bahama. stand that the faculty and the lege’s faculty and administra- Woman Superintendent administration have disagree- MEMBERS OF UTEB Ismella Davis is the new tion – not the resolution of stroll back into COB disputes.” Eastern Division chief, after paying the having been transferred COBUS advised students Minister of Education to continue to attend classes Desmond Bannister a from the Fox Hill Division, unless notified by the college visit. where she was an assistant to do otherwise, and main- superintendent. tained that they will work to The Tribune PHOTOS: understands ensure any class time lost due that further changes could to demonstrations is made up Tim Clarke/ Tribune staff be made in the coming at a later date. weeks. 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