By SHELDON LONGLEY, NG Sports Editor

slongley@nasguard.com

Since the Free National Movement (FNM) Party won the government of The Bahamas at last Wednesday's general elections, quite a number of sporting enthusiasts in the country speculated on who would be the next minister with responsibility for sports. Well, their suspicions were cleared up yesterday evening at Government House.

The Honourable Carl Bethel, the Member of Parliament (MP) elect for the Seabreeze constituency, will fill that ministerial capacity along with other major portfolios such as Education, Youth and Culture, giving him one of the largest responsibilities of any government minister sworn in yesterday. While choosing not to go into too much detail about his immediate plans, Bethel hinted that a Minister of State for Sports will be announced at a later date, so as to reduce the tedious tasks of his very broad ministry.

"I think that together, we will do what has to be done to try and solve some of the problems that are affecting particular sporting organizations in this country," he said yesterday. "There are some very contentious issues that are affecting the quality of the services that can be rendered by the various (sports) associations. We need to see how we can best go about resolving these problems that are affecting the dissemination of sports throughout the Bahamian society, whether it is in schools, or in after-school programs."

The four portfolios of sports, education, youth and culture were previously under one ministerial umbrella during the Pindling regime, but were broken down into two separate ministries - the Ministry of Education; and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture - when the FNM brought its sunshine government to the people of The Bahamas in 1992. The latter remained as such until recently when former minister, the Honourable Neville Wisdom, was appointed the Minister of Youth, Sports and Housing.

As for Bethel, he certainly isn't a stranger to the Cabinet

n See Bethel on C2

of The Bahamas, having served as Minister of State for Economic Development and as Attorney General during the FNM's 10-year reign as the governing party of the country from 1992-2002. His appointment to the ministry with responsibility for sports yesterday evening might have come as a surprise to many though. Former Bahamas Association of Athletics Associations' President, attorney Desmond Bannister, Clifton MP Kendal Wright, and former sports ministers Zhivargo Laing and Dion Foulkes were rumored to be the front-runners for the sports minister's spot. Laing, the MP for the Marco City constituency, served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture when the FNM won the government of The Bahamas in 1992. He was sworn in as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance yesterday afternoon, while Bannister was given the portfolio of Minister of State in the Ministry of Legal Affairs. Foulkes lost his MP bid to incumbent MICAL representative V Alfred Gray last week, but was given the portfolio of Minister of Maritime Affairs and Labour yesterday evening along with a senate spot in the new FNM government.

Eight other ministers were sworn into office yesterday evening to go along with the three who were sworn in last week to give the Cabinet of The Bahamas a total of 15 members - 13 men and two women.

"I believe and am truly satisfied, I need not fear contradiction in this... I have assembled a powerful team. They have promised to do much work in the development of our people and our nation," said Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham yesterday evening at Government House.

The prime minister said that he has "every confidence" in the new Cabinet of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, in meeting his full expectations.

"You have been specially chosen... much is expected, required and demanded. I look forward to working with each of you and together we will pursue to build a more progressive, productive and fair Bahamas," he said.

The prime minister also outlined seven principles related to a code of conduct, one which, or a lack whereof the former government of The Bahamas was so heavily criticized during their brief five-year term in office.

The seven principles are as follows:

i) All ministers are required to carry out their responsibilities solely on the basis of the public interest, and not to do so to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family members of their friends.

ii) Integrity - not to place themselves under any financial obligations of individuals or organizations that might compromise them in the performance of their official duties.

iii) Objectivity - in the conduct of public business including making public appointments, awarding contracts or recommending individuals for awards and benefits, they should make choices on merit and not based on politics.

iv) Accountability - be accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and they must subdue themselves to scrutiny appropriate to their offices.

v) Openness - they are required to be open about all decisions and actions that they take, give reasons for their positions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.

vi) Honesty - have an obligation to declare any private interest related to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflict in able to protect the public interest, and finally...

vii) promote and support these principles by leadership and by example.