VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBH #0764/01 3491744
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151744Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY NASSAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0086
INFO RUEHBH/AMEMBASSY NASSAU

UNCLAS NASSAU 000764 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL PGOV BF
SUBJECT: Nassau Monthly - November 2009 
 
¶1.  (U)  This is a monthly report on a variety of topics of 
interest which do not merit full reporting cables. 
 
 
 
-- Retirements, Cabinet Shakeup Leads to New Appointments 
 
-- Airport Wait Times Cut as Secondary Screening Checkpoint 
Demolished 
 
-- Tourism:   Hotel Deals Hurt Revenues; Cruise Travel Up, Air 
Travel Still Down 
 
-- GCOB Begins USD 850 Million Capital Works Program, Promises 2600 
jobs 
 
-- Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Workshop A Success 
 
-- Police Force Attacked for Soaring Murder Rate, Accused of 
Brutality and Indifference 
 
-- Embassy Reading Program Inspires Love Of Books 
 
-- New Coroner's Bill Would Mandate Inquests Into All 
Police-Custody Deaths 
 
 
 
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Retirements, Cabinet Shakeup Leads to New Appointments 
 
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¶2.  (U) Minister of Education Carl Bethel was named the new Free 
National Movement (FNM) Chairman during last month's FNM 
convention.  Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and other challengers 
to the position, including incumbent Chairman Johnley Ferguson, 
nominated Bethel.  Bethel said that he volunteered to take on the 
position "for the good of the party."  The nomination of Bethel is 
rumored to be a counter against the election of Opposition Party 
PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts, who has made unceasing attacks 
against the Government since his election in October.  Member of 
Parliament (MP) Desmond Banister will assume responsibilities as 
Minister of Education.  Bannister, previously the Minister of 
Youth, Sports, and Culture, will be replaced by first term MP and 
Minister of Culture, Charles Maynard.  In addition, the Royal 
Bahamas Police Force Commissioner Reginald Ferguson will retire in 
January 2010.  He will retire on the day that the new Police Act 
comes into effect, mandating retirement for all officers once they 
reach age 60, or complete 40 years of service, whichever comes 
first.  A new commissioner has not been named.  Finally, the Prime 
Minister announced November 22 that attorney John Delaney will be 
appointed the next Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs. 
Delaney's appointment has been criticized by the opposition because 
he does not have a background in criminal law.  The Attorney 
General's office is facing a formidable backlog of criminal cases, 
and clearing the log is seen as key to improving the administration 
of justice.   Delaney has a background in commercial and financial 
litigation, and will also oversee regulations of the financial 
services sector. 
 
 
 
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Secondary Screening Checkpoint at Airport Demolished 
 
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¶3.  (U)  The secondary screening checkpoint at Nassau's 
International Airport was demolished less than 24 hours after 
airport officials received official notification from the 
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that it had passed TSA 
inspections.   Airport officials report that the elimination of the 
second checkpoint on November 27 has significantly improved 
passenger flow and has made "a tremendous difference" in the amount 
of time it takes a passenger to process through from check-in to 
gate arrival.  Post worked closely with TSA and the GCOB Airport 
Authority officials to facilitate delivery of the letters to 
Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vanderpool-Wallace. 
 
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Tourism:   Hotel Deals Hurt Revenues;  Cruise Travel Up, Air Travel 
Still Down 
 
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---------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶4.  (U)   Preliminary statistics from the hotel industry and The 
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation indicate that hotel 
occupancy in New Providence for October 2009 increased by 9.5 
percentage points compared with 2008.  However, an eighteen dollar 
decrease in the average daily room rate eliminated any gains in 
hotel room revenue.  Overall room revenue fell 5.3 percent in 
October due to an increase in promotional deals among the major 
hotels.  In September 2009, tourists arriving by air fell an 
additional 12.8 percent from September 2008, while sea arrivals 
increased 15 percent. These numbers support a consensus among 
industry experts in the country that value-oriented cruise tourism 
will continue to dominate the market until several months after a 
global economic recovery is perceived to have taken place. 
 
 
 
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GCOB Begins USD 850 Million Capital Works Program, Promises 2600 
Jobs 
 
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¶5.  (U)   Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing Announced 
that the GCOB will launch a USD 850 million capital works program 
over the next two years in order to stimulate the economy and 
address a growing unemployment rate thought to be at 17 percent. 
Laing said that at least 2600 jobs will come from the redevelopment 
of the International Airport, road improvement projects throughout 
the country, the construction of several new government complexes, 
power plants and the Arawak Cay container port as well as a New 
Providence Cleanup and Beautification project.  Laing noted that to 
date, 13,000 people have received USD 18.5 million in unemployment 
benefits. 
 
 
 
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Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Workshop A Success 
 
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¶6.  (U)  Post partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) 
and the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) to host a two-day 
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement workshop at the 
Police Training College on November 17-18. Twenty-five participants 
from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Bahamas Customs Office, 
the Department of the Public Prosecutor, and the Registrar 
General's Office shared ideas and developed strategies to enforce 
existing legislation protecting IPR in The Bahamas.  DOJ trainers 
ran several practical exercises as well, include a search and 
seizure drill for pirated material.  Participants developed a 
"brick and mortar" protocol to interdict businesses that produce 
pirated goods and heard from a Bahamian filmmaker who suffered 
financial losses from internet piracy of his work. 
 
 
 
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Police Force Attacked for Soaring Murder Rate, Accused of Brutality 
and Indifference 
 
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¶7.  (U)  The Bahamas stands poised to surpass their highest murder 
rate ever recorded; the current total of 78 matches the record from 
¶2007.  While other violent crimes are also at an all time high, the 
embattled Police Force has come under increasing attack over 
allegations of brutality and other improper behavior.  A rape 
victim has alleged that investigators treated his case poorly 
because he is gay.  He claimed that he had to wait hours to report 
his case or be seen by a medical examiner, and that the 
investigating authorities treated the case as a joke.  In a 
separate case, a man charged with serial rape was ordered to the 
hospital by a Magistrate after he showed her welts on his torso, 
and alleged police brutality.  He claimed that he had been beaten 
by detectives into signing a statement.  Two Police Force officers 
were arrested in early November after an unauthorized bar-raid. 
They remain on active duty while the Force decides whether they 
will be disciplined.  If they are disciplined, they may face a 
court-martial or a criminal trial.  A ruling is also expected soon 
in the case of a Police Officer accused of having sex with two 
female minors. 
 
 
 
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Embassy Reading Program Inspires Love Of Books 
 
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¶8.  (U)  Ambassador Nicole Avant participated in a ceremony in 
honor of the Embassy and Ministry of Education's Read to Lead 
program on November 25.  Woodcock Primary School honored the 
Ambassador with a special assembly in which the students discussed 
the importance of literacy and showcased their musical abilities. 
In her remarks, Avant reaffirmed her commitment to education and 
the literacy reading program and told the students that the Embassy 
was committed to inspiring and encouraging them through books.  The 
Ambassador's visit received wide press coverage. 
 
 
 
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New Coroner's Bill Would Mandate Inquests Into All Police-Custody 
Deaths 
 
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¶9.  (U)  The GCOB has proposed a new Coroner's Bill which would 
replace the 1909 Coroner's Act and grant new powers and 
responsibilities to the Coroner's Court.  Among the changes, the 
Coroner's Court would be required to launch an inquest into any 
death that occurs while in custody.  Deaths will be investigated if 
they occur while the person is in prison, when attempting to evade 
capture, or while attempting to escape custody.  Investigations can 
also be pursued if the Coroner deems them to be in the "public 
interest."  The Coroner's Court was set up in 1909 to deal with 
deaths involving police and other government personnel.  It has 
been the subject of continual controversy as investigations are 
launched at the Coroner's discretion, fueling allegations about 
unfair treatment of police. 
AVANT