By TAMARA McKENZIE

Guardian Staff Reporter

tamara@nasguard.com

The Bahamas needs "investors, not invaders" the lawyer for a group of residents protesting a proposed $500 million development on Great Guana Cay, Abaco, said Monday.

Continuing his relentless criticism of the Passerine at Abaco development, Attorney Fred Smith said that Guana Cay does not need a $500 million investment, as there are thousands of unemployed people "craving" for investment in Grand Bahama and Eleuthera.

"The Bahamas needs investors, not invaders of Guana Cay. And while he (the Prime Minister) is at it, let the Government give beachfront crown land to Bahamians like they are doing for the foreign developer," Mr. Smith suggested in his latest statement issued to the press on Monday.

Since last year, residents of Guana Cay, led by Mr Smith, have protested the $500 million Passerine at Abaco development. The development includes the construction of a 585-acre luxury golf-course, 240-slip marina and 350 residential lots, among other amenities.

And although the government has already signed the Heads of Agreement for the development, Mr Smith has continuously criticized the government for allowing the Passerine Company to go ahead with its project.

Residents claim that if the marina is constructed, it will kill the Great Barrier Reef - the third largest in the world - that is just 50 feet offshore, and the dredging for the proposed marina would destroy 70-plus acres of mangrove and fish estuary in addition to other environmental damage.

Beach access to remain

On the other hand, such fears were quelled by Investments Minister, Allyson Gibson when the Heads of Agreement for the development was tabled in the House of Assembly two weeks ago. And although the Heads of Agreement offers the developer 148 acres of crown and treasury land near the beach, Mrs Gibson told The Guardian that traditional beach access would be maintained as a 12-acre parcel of land on the oceanfront has been reserved for Bahamians.

Resignation call

Meanwhile, the back and forth wrangling between Mr. Smith and Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party, Raynard Rigby took another twist on Monday. Last week, Mr. Smith accused the Prime Minister of "lying and misleading" the public when he claimed that he consulted with South Abaco MP, Robert Sweeting, about the Passerine Project. However, Mr. Rigby said Mr. Smith was only making a "contemptible, hysterical and desperate" attempt to discredit the PLP Government and its leadership.

On Monday, Mr. Smith responded that the PLP Government and its leadership continue to discredit themselves without his help. He also added that Mr. Rigby gets caught up in his own hyperbole and misses the point.

"If the Prime Minister was speaking the truth, all he needs to do is give the people the facts. The Prime Minister, Raynard Rigby and Allyson Maynard-Gibson are all lawyers. Facts speak for themselves. The people will judge for themselves what is the truth.

"As to Mr. Rigby's intervention, I say to the Prime Minister, don't send a boy to do a man's job. The people of the Bahamas are waiting for the truth from your lips not Mr. Rigby's," the statement outlined.

According to Mr. Smith, the Prime Minister and his Government continue to demonstrate to the public that they are "inept, incompetent, morally wanting, licentious, lack vision, make secret deals with foreign investors, hide the facts from the people, do not listen to the people, fail to make decisions," and when they finally make a decision, such as in the case of Guana Cay, they get it all wrong.

"It is time that they recognize that they should resign because of their abject and mendacious incompetence in the administration of the affairs of this country, Mr Smith concluded.