Just wondering, but has any of the political parties addressed the Caribbean Single Market Economy? i have scanned the books of both parties and havent seen reference to CSME, maybe its there and I overlooked so if its there, please point it out. Im just curious though, have they stated their position on whether or not the Bahamas will be a member of CSME? and what benefits it offer to the Bahamas in the long run.

Neither party will touch CSME. The people were so not up for it that they spoke up against it.....and you know if we Bahamians speak up in protest over policy like that...it means back away.

That is a pretty much finished issue. CSME has been well underway now without the Bahamas as a participating member. In fact they have begun to issue out the regional passports to the member countries.

CSME without us has become somethig I think Bahamians deffinately don't want to get into, and probably for the same reasons as before. Simply put The Bahamas does not want to be mixed up with the region, but autonomous, with our own intrests and course of development. Besides the Carribean has been trying to federate itself for decades now...its...their daydream.

CSME is not dead; both major Partys want us to join, but I am convinced that the PLP thinks that our future is with Caricom (moreso than the FNM) and that for the country to develop as it should that we should join.I think that we should join and that it will be good for us, including the single currency.We are just as smart, and can be just as hardworking as the Jamaicans or the Bajons, no need to be afraid. It will also save our education system, civil service and judiciary by giving us access to top notch people from the region who are willing to work for our comparatively higher wages, and best of all no taxes and proximity to Florida. And the Trini 'oman dem nice!

CSME is not dead; both major Partys want us to join, but I am convinced that the PLP thinks that our future is with Caricom (moreso than the FNM) and that for the country to develop as it should that we should join.I think that we should join and that it will be good for us, including the single currency.We are just as smart, and can be just as hardworking as the Jamaicans or the Bajons, no need to be afraid. It will also save our education system, civil service and judiciary by giving us access to top notch people from the region who are willing to work for our comparatively higher wages, and best of all no taxes and proximity to Florida. And the Trini 'oman dem nice!


This just sounds simple a case of being a putty-tat. Because the PLP brought it forward, you bucked and bolted and now because the FNM will probably go for it, you will try to make up your mind on how to begin liking it, even though it may be devestating to the Bahamian businessman and consumer.

We are not involved with the CSME. I wish we were, as least from an intellectual standpoint and put us in a position to bargain. But we are not even close to being listened to. With that, the CSME with the other nations HAVE NOT CHANGED. It was no different now, as it was then when the PLP brought it forward. Just that this time, if the FNM brings it to the table, they will ram it up your arse as the PLP tried to create debate on how important some of it is.

The jury is still out for me on CSME, because we are not close enough to affect change. Jamaica in particular, are not budging on the labour and immigration issue. Furthermore, there is no single one item that Jamaica has that the Bahamas wants; Jamaica being one of the biggest players. Trinidad may be a horse of a different color, but hey, we can not have it all our way.

We need to "rethink" this and I do not think that PM HI, is in a position to do the thinking. We all know where our new MOFA's allegiance lies, and it is not with no CSME. He wants to put us in a more bourgeroise type atmosphere, he wants to go EU and show us that we can "compete globally", when we have not even began to compete regionally. Watch MOFA Symoneytte.
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