NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Opposition Leader Michael Pintard on Monday night called for the people of Freeport to be empowered to govern their own city, saying local residents and licensees should have a stronger voice in shaping the city’s future.
“Central government does not necessarily have to take over the city of Freeport. The time has come for the families to stop dominating governance,” Pintard said at a town hall meeting on Grand Bahama. “The people of Freeport can in fact govern the city of Freeport in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, central government, and the licensees of the port.”
Pintard stated: “Grand Bahamians, you have an opportunity. You should have the confidence that you are able to run your own affairs in the city of Freeport rather than rely on central government disrupting a formula that can work without the present players of the families dominating the landscape.”
Pintard also questioned the cost of the arbitration process, asking, “How much money would have been spent on the arbitration process?”
Kwasi Thompson, MP for East Grand Bahama, stressed the need for open dialogue on Freeport’s future. He said it was crucial for Grand Bahamians to understand how both the Port Authority and the government plan to move forward, and called for meaningful discussion to ensure residents have a voice in local governance.
David Thompson, a former MP for Marco City and drafter of the 1994 Act referenced in the government and GBPA arbitration dispute, backed the FNM’s position. “In clearing the air in Grand Bahama on the arbitration ruling, the FNM stands strong as being in support of the ruling. The reason we are in support of the ruling is because the FNM, an Ingraham administration in 1994 saw the Port Authority as being liable to pay the government. And what you now have left is that same liability to go after,” Thompson said.
The FNM in a press release Monday night criticized the PLP for what it called the town hall a “taxpayer-funded PLP rally from start to finish.” The party said the meeting was controlled at every level; claiming that the hosts, protocol team, sound production, and even transportation were all coordinated by PLP operatives, with school buses reportedly bringing supporters from West Grand Bahama. The party accused the government of manipulating the official livestream, placing PLP videos over Mr. Pintard’s image during his remarks because “what he had to say was not what the PLP wanted you to see and hear.”
The FNM also highlighted the broader implications of the arbitration ruling, which it said cost Bahamians an estimated $16–20 million, with additional proceedings still pending. “That’s money that could have gone towards fire trucks, badly needed medical equipment, and basic services in Grand Bahama,” the release said, framing the event as an attempt to distract from the government’s failed legal effort.
