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Volume: 118 No.163, July 21, 2021
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‘DON’T PANIC’
Dames urges would-be voters to stay calm and ignore election guesses By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A RUSH of people seeking to register to vote on Monday forced Parliamentary Registration Department centres to extend satellite office hours to accommodate the surge. As a result, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames yesterday urged eligible Bahamian voters to remain “calm” and “relaxed” until the next general election is called, insisting people should “not give into individuals panicking members of the public” as only the Prime Minister knows the election date. Several registration centres were inundated with
people on Monday seeking to get registered and make constituency transfers ahead of the next general election. Many Bahamians who queued on the long lines told The Tribune their decision to visit the centres was influenced by Progressive Liberal Party leader Phillip “Brave” Davis’ recent call for people to get registered as soon as possible. Mr Davis made the plea to Bahamians on Sunday after telling reporters he expects Dr Minnis to dissolve Parliament and announce an early election as soon as this week – an assertion that has since been brushed off by the Prime Minister. SEE PAGE THREE
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has downplayed this. “I am of the view that the Prime Minister is reluctant to move early, but that he is hard pressed to,” Mr Moultrie said yesterday. “And, I believe that is because, based on the budget, the government would need to borrow a whole lot of money and based on the information I am aware of, the lending SEE PAGE TWO
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
JOHN Pinder, the Free National Movement’s candidate for Fox Hill, yesterday officially retired from his post as director of the Department of Labour. In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Pinder said with his retirement now effective, he will launch a full-time campaign in the constituency. SEE PAGE THREE
LANDLORDS’ SWITCH TO AIRBNB UPS RENT PRICES
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
‘PM HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO GO EARLY’ By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net HOUSE of Assembly Speaker Halson Moultrie believes the Minnis administration is between a rock and a hard place with really no other choice but to call an early election. Speculation has been rife in recent weeks that an early election will be called soon, instead of next May when it is due. However,
PINDER: I’LL BEAT COPYCAT MITCHELL TO FOX HILL SEAT
AYTON’S AGONY BAHAMIAN Deandre Ayton shoots for Phoenix Suns against Milwaukee Bucks during the first half of game six of basketball’s NBA Finals in Milwaukee last night. It was agony for the Suns, though, as Milwaukee won to clinch the NBA Championship. See SPORTS for the full story. Photo: Aaron Gash/AP
HOLIDAY WEEKEND BLAMED FOR SURGE By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH Minister Renward Wells said yesterday the recent spike in COVID19 cases can be attributed to Independence Day festivities. His comment came after the country recorded 100 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the most in a single day since October. Health officials confirmed
HEALTH Minister Renward Wells. an additional 38 cases on Sunday and 81 more cases on Monday, bringing the
nation’s overall tally to 13,685. The uptick in cases comes as officials seek to arrest the third wave of the pandemic. Yesterday, Mr Wells said since the country entered its third wave of infections, virus cases have fluctuated. However, he said the high number of infections seen in the last few days could be attributed to recent holiday events where there were several gatherings. SEE PAGE FOUR
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
EXUMA’S Chamber of Commerce president yesterday warned that the island’s soaring vacation property success was “choking off” Bahamian access to affordable rental units. Realtor Pedro Rolle said demand for Airbnb-style vacation rentals had curbed rental availability while also pushing prices beyond government workers and lower/ middle income persons. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
WYNN IN NEW BID TO SECURE PROPERTY
By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net WITH just under a year to the completion of his Cable Beach development, Paul Wynn is challenging the government to put one of its dilapidated buildings out to tender to remove the eyesore from the area of his investment. Mr Wynn, developer of GoldWynn, a hotel and condominium development in Cable Beach just opposite the Office of the Prime Minister, recently learned his company’s offer SEE PAGE FIVE