officeofthespouseoftheprimeminister

The wife of Prime Minister Philip Davis is speaking up against the killing of 4-year-old Bella Walker, calling her death “heinous” vowing that the Office of the Spouse of the Prime Minister will bring awareness and policy proposals to protect children from abuse.

Ann-Marie Davis said it was unfortunate that it took the assault and killing of Bella to cause public outrage.

“There is more than sufficient blame to go around for our societal failings in this regard,” she said.

Bella grew up in the care of her paternal great grandmother and grandmother in Freeport, Grand Bahama but was sent to Nassau to live with her mother nearly two months ago.

Neighbours recalled Bella being home alone and sometimes wandering the streets. They kept her until her mother or the mother’s boyfriend arrived home.

She was killed on Friday night, allegedly by the hands of her mother’s boyfriend. Police have not identified the exact cause of death, only to say she sustained injuries to the body. Other reports indicate the child was also sexually assaulted.

Davis said, “I express heartfelt condolences to the family of young Walker as they struggle and pray to make sense of this apparent senseless and unspeakable tragedy. My thoughts and prayers and that of the Prime Minister are with the affected family during this difficult period.”

Davis said she is confident that the matter will be thoroughly investigated and authorities will issue secure swift justice.

“Bahamians everywhere are encouraged to be agents of change by lending their collective voices of outrage, intolerance, and advocacy in support of our children and the vulnerable. We are parents, sisters, brothers and when we commit ourselves to consistently being our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers – we can cause for a social and cultural shift in our behavior toward one another.”

The mother’s boyfriend is in police custody.

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis is calling an early election for September 16.

In a leaked letter to the Governor-General, Minnis is officially seeking a snap election and asking for a new parliament by October 6th.

“Pursuant to Articles 65 and 67 of the Constitution, I have the honor to advise your excellency to issue Writs of Election on the 19th day of August 2021, to cause a general election of members of the House of Assembly to be made on the 16th day of September 2021 according to law, and to order a new Parliament to meet on Wednesday the 6th day of October 2021.”

The big picture

Speculations of an early election have been rife since earlier in the year.

The governing party and the opposition have been ratifying candidates and heavily campaigning.

The official opposition party and other third parties have been agitating for an early election, prompting citizens and residents to register to vote.

Yesterday, PLP Leader Philip Davis called on Minnis to “ring the bell.” He said the election is “the first step to better days.”

Why it matters

This means Bahamians will go to the polls eight months ahead of schedule.

Minnis’ decision to call an early election is a gamble as the country is gripped with high cases of hospitalization and deaths due to COVID-19.

Yesterday, in a surprising turn of events, Parliament was prorogued and was expected to resume September 22.

Now that election will be called early, Parliament will instead have to be dissolved. This is when the life of parliament ends, every seat in the House becomes vacant and parliamentarians must render themselves as candidates.

In observance of the 58th Anniversary of the Enactment of the Right of Women to Vote, and the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action — the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development’s Department of Gender and Family Affairs, Zonta Clubs of The Bahamas, and Caribbean Women in Leadership, hosted a special sitting of the House of Assembly for Women in Parliament and presented a Resolution to the Speaker.

The theme of the Resolution, presented Friday, December 11, was “Accelerating the Empowerment and Advancement of Women in Parliamentary Representation, Economic Development and Protection Against Gender-Based Violence.”

Some of the speakers are pictured making presentations in the House of Assembly.