Environmentalist Sam Dumcombe on Tuesday questioned the validity of a recent Public Domain survey which indicated that 71 per cent of Bahamians were in support of Disney’s proposed development at Lighthouse point in Eleuthera.
In an interview with Eyewitness News, Duncombe said she felt the results were “manipulated” because the poll was reportedly paid for by Disney.
“When you do a survey you can get it to say whatever you want depending on how you frame the question and when you look at these questions, they are leading the respondent into a favourable reply to them,” she said.
“I could do a survey and I can get 71 per cent of people to say ‘I don’t want Disney here,’ so a survey depending on what it is you want, can be manipulated.”
However, President of Public Domain, M’wale Rahming on Tuesday defended the survey. He told Eyewitness News that environmentalists “may just be shocked” that the majority of Bahamians do not support their view.
“A lot of it has to with the online poll that some of the news outlets have online, where they are seeing the complete opposite of this and they are having a hard time understanding the difference between an online survey where everyone can participate and a scientific survey where it is randomly selected household throughout the country,” he said.
“A lot of time you see online surveys are not accurate because I can vote multiple times, I can go from my house, to my school, to wherever and vote multiple times and in a scientific survey each household is randomly selected and only one person from that household get to represent that household and so they are so adamant that this project is wrong, they cannot believe the public wants it.”
The poll conducted this weekend of 994 households across the country, revealed that of the 994 individuals polled, 235 individuals or 38 per cent – 311 males and 310 females, were “very much” in support of the development, while 161 individuals, some 26 per cent, did not support the cruise initiative.
The poll revealed that 171 individuals or 28 per cent, “somewhat” supported the development, while 54 individuals or nine per cent “somewhat” did not support the development.
Disney has proposed creating a cruise destination at Lighthouse Point in South Eleuthera.
