Governor General CA Smith has signed a new proclamation of emergency, giving the Minnis Administration an additional six months of unbridled power to enforce restrictions at will during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The move is viewed by some as an abuse of power by the Competent Authority.
However, the Governor General cited the more than 7,000 Covid-19 cases and 163 deaths recorded in The Bahamas as justification for the new proclamation and said he is “satisfied that due to the presence of Covid-19 in The Bahamas for the foreseeable future, a state of public emergency continues to exist in The Bahamas.”
It comes despite a dramatic decrease in Covid-19 cases on New Providence, which recorded just three cases on Monday.
The first proclamation was issued on March 18.
The governor general issued a new proclamation on June 29, giving the government an additional six months, ending in December.
Bahamians fear an extension could mean a bleak holiday season punctuated by restrictions.
PLP leader Philip Davis announced on Tuesday night that the opposition does not and will not support the new Proclamation of Emergency issued this evening by the Governor General.
“We will refuse to allow the matter to be debated tomorrow in the House and will not waive the notice requirement,” according to Davis.
“The issue of the proclamation is an abuse of power. Civil liberties have been suspended long enough and we say the suspension must end and go no farther,” he said.
FNM MP and Former Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands has also been critical of dragging out the state of emergency and said it is time for the government to return the power to the people.