When the government postponed the gambling referendum, originally proposed for December 3, it bought itself time to put the legal structure in place to conduct a consultative referendum, to properly educate the Bahamian public on the issues and the questions which would be the subject of the referendum. So far it has successfully accomplished one of the three tasks.
With the referendum now weeks away, once again, the clock is ticking, and much is still left to be said and done before the Bahamian people are able to make an informed decision on January 28. The holiday season and of course the National Insurance Board scandal have diverted attention from the impending referendum, but come January, when the countdown will continue in earnest, there will be another up swell of frustration and anger if the government does not properly prepare the public for the referendum.
If they botch the formulation of the questions, it will not only be embarrassing for the government, it will be problematic for voters and cause even more confusion. It could also open up the process to judicial challenge.