BRENT SYMONETTE NAMED BAHAMIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 000579

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR RCBUDDEN, INR/B

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR ETRD BF
SUBJECT: BRENT SYMONETTE NAMED BAHAMIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

REF: NASSAU 559

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires D. Brent Hardt for reasons 1.4(b) and
(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham tapped Free
National Movement (FNM) Deputy Party Leader Brent Symonette
as The Bahamas' new Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Foreign Affairs May 4. Symonette is a successful businessman
and a former Attorney General and Minister of Tourism in
previous FNM governments. The appointment of Symonette, a
good friend of the United States with excellent ties to
Embassy leadership, is a sign of Prime Minister Ingraham's
commitment to a close and productive U.S. relationship.
Symonette, whose father was the last pre-independence premier
of The Bahamas, is one of a handful of white Bahamians who
have remained engaged in post-independence Bahamian politics.
Symonette is a pragmatic, no-nonsense leader with limited
tolerance for inefficiency. We can expect him to be a strong
partner for the U.S., who will be more decisive and more
inclined to support U.S. positions than his predecessor. He
will almost certainly focus less on relations with Cuba and
he will be less engaged in CARICOM and the Non-Aligned
Movement that Fred Mitchell. At the same time, Symonette is
a strong Bahamian nationalist, who will be jealously
protective of Bahamian economic, trade and business
interests. As he is new to international diplomacy, we have
an opportunity to shape his perceptions early on priority
U.S. concerns such as a Proliferation Security Agreement and
UN human rights issues. END SUMMARY.

INGRAHAM SWORN IN, SYMONETTE NAMED FOREIGN MINISTER
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2. (SBU) On May 4, Hubert Ingraham was formally sworn in as
Prime Minister of The Bahamas (reftel). In keeping with his
reputation as a man of quick action, Ingraham immediately
named FNM Deputy Leader Brent Symonette as Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. The appointment of
Symonette as DPM and the Bahamas' representative to foreign
governments was seen in part as Ingraham's response to the
PLP's effort to play the race card during the campaign
against Symonette and the FNM -- whose roots go back to the
white-dominated UBP of the pre-independence Bahamas. In a
move that will strengthen party unity, Ingraham also named
Tommy Turnquest, who had to step down as party leader in 2006
to make way for Ingraham's return to active politics, to the
key Ministries of National Security and Immigration. Claire
Hepburn, a private attorney with limited political
involvement, was named Attorney General. The rest of Cabinet
will be named and sworn in the evening of May 7, and Post
will report septel regarding other cabinet assignments.

AN EXPERIENCED BUSINESSMAN WITH A POLITICAL LEGACY
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3. (U) Brent Symonette was born in Nassau, The Bahamas on
December 2, 1954. He is the son of Sir Roland Symonette, the
first and last Premier of The Bahamas. He is married to
Robin Symonette, nee Mactaggart, also of Nassau. They have
three children, who attend school in Britain. Symonette
attended prep school at St. Andrew's School in Nassau and at
Leys School, Cambridge, England. He attended college at
Brunel University, London, where he earned a Bachelor of
Science with honors in Politics and Law. He was called to
the Bar as a member of the Inner Temple, London and to The
Bahamas Bar n 1978. Symonette was appointed to the Senate,
the non-elected and less prestigious branch of the
legislature, in 1987 by FNM founder and opposition leader Sir
Cecil Wallace Whitfield. He was again appointed to the
Senate from 1992-2002 by Prime Minister Ingraham. From
1992-2002, Symonette served at various times as Minister of
Tourism, Attorney General, Chairman of the Hotel Corporation
and Chairman of the Airport Authority. (COMMENT: Symonette
was accused of conflict of interest in his capacity as
Chairman of the Airport Authority for awarding a contract for
a runway repair to a company he in which he owned an
interest. Recognizing his mistake, he resigned to avoid the
conflict, but defended his decision as an award to the low
bidder able to do the job in the necessary timeframe. END
COMMENT.)

4. (SBU) In 2002, Symonette was elected Member of Parliament
for the wealthy Montagu constituency, where he served as the
FNM's only member of Parliament from the island of New
Providence. While in opposition, Symonette served as the
Opposition spokesman on foreign affairs. In 2005, he decided
to stand for Deputy Leader of the FNM once he knew that
Hubert Ingraham was prepared to return to front-line
politics. He was subsequently voted Deputy Leader,
reportedly to help balance the fiery Ingraham with his calm,
thoughtful demeanor in the 2007 elections. Symonette's deep
ties with the Bahamian business community and access to local
investors contributed to his appeal to the party faithful.
In the recent elections, he won a newly-created St. Anne's
constituency with the second highest margin of victory of any
candidate.


5. (U) Among the wealthiest individuals in Bahamian
politics, Symonette reported $56 million in net worth in
required pre-election disclosures. However, those
disclosures reportedly do not include interests held in trust
or partnership, and some estimate Symonette's wealth to
exceed $250 million. Symonette nevertheless lives modestly
and supports many causes without fanfare and behind the
scenes. He has been involved in many local tourism
developments, including Mount Vernon, Royal Valley and Vista
Marina West. His business interests reportedly include
Bahamas Hot Mix, Commonwealth Bank, Bahamas Fast Ferries,
Abaco Markets, Town Centre Mall, Cost-Rite Wholesale and
Solomon's Wholesale. Symonette is a member of the East
Nassau Rotary Club, an avowed environmentalist, and is deeply
involved in local charities. Vocal about the need to balance
development with the long term protection of the Bahamian
environment, and determined to protect Bahamian beaches for
public use, Symonette recently sold his interests in a
popular local beach to the government for $1 to keep the
beach public and undeveloped.

BAHAMIAN PATRIOT WITH A POINT TO MAKE
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6. (C) Symonette's father was Premier of The Bahamas under
the United Bahamian Party, acting as head of Government under
British rule from 1955 to 1964, and under self-rule from 1964
to 1969, before The Bahamas achieved majority rule. A symbol
of white repression of black Bahamians, Sir Roland and the
UBP actively fought majority rule. Brent Symonette's UBP
heritage has been a political liability, and became a focus
of PLP campaigning leading up to elections in the
overwhelmingly (85 percent) black Bahamas. While safe in his
wealthy Eastern constituency, some public perceptions of
Symonette have inescapably been tied to issues of race and
Sir Roland's minority rule legacy. The PLP went out of their
way to exploit his father's past -- with mixed success. The
FNM victory in the face of PLP charges that Ingraham intended
to turn power over to Symonette, who would then "turn back"
to the era of racial discrimination suggests a growing
political maturity among a majority of Bahamian voters for
whom such racial politics had limited traction.


7. (C) Symonette was defiant of PLP campaign efforts to
marginalize him because of his race and legacy. At one
pre-election rally he boldly declared: "I am proud of my
father, and I will remain proud of him all my life. I am
Bahamian, and I have every right to be Member of Parliament,
so take that Mr. Christie!" In fact, Symonette derives extra
motivation from his desire to ensure that all Bahamians,
black and white alike, can participate in the political life
of The Bahamas. His willingness to face the barrage of PLP
attacks in a political campaign and to stand up for his
father despite a difficult legacy are telling of a highly
motivated and strong-minded politician. Symonette is fond of
recounting how his father rose from poverty to wealth on the
Bahamian island of Eleuthera, highlighting his family as a
Bahamian success story rather than a symbol of inherited
privilege. Symonette likely regards his election and
appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs as vindication for his and his father's hard work,
but also for a future where black and white Bahamians alike
can contribute to building their country.


8. (C) His patriotism comes with a nationalist streak, and
Symonette believes that more needs to be done to channel
trade and investment opportunities toward Bahamian business
interests over foreign investors, perhaps understandable
considering his not-inconsequential local holdings. He has
often remarked that the Bahamian government is more willing
to offer incentives to foreigners than to locals. Given that
PM Ingraham campaigned against PLP land "give-aways" to
foreigners, Symonette will likely be cautious in rolling out
the red carpet for foreign investors. For environmental
reasons, Symonette opposes the pending liquefied natural gas
project proposed for Ocean Cay by American companies, though
the deal may have support elsewhere in the government. In
parliament during the run-up to elections, Symonette has been
openly critical of potential Bahamian participation in free
trade agreements, saying: "I am nervous about the pressure
being brought on The Bahamas to join various trade groups . .
. I think we are running into dangerous waters and unless
someone can convince me otherwise, we are not going to
collect in VAT what we are currently collecting in import
tax."

SYMONETTE A RELUCTANT FM, BUT GREAT FRIEND TO POST
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9. (C) FNM insiders had predicted that former Bahamian
Ambassador to the U.S., Joshua Sears, would be named Foreign
Minister. Asked last summer by the Charge about his
potential portfolios in an FNM government, Symonette
dismissed the idea of serving as Foreign Minister saying he
could not see himself sitting for hours in "endless,
unproductive meetings with CARICOM officials." However, with
Sears losing his race for Parliament, and with Symonette's
experience as opposition spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, he
and the Prime Minister apparently had a change of heart.


10. (C) Symonette has been a frank and open interlocutor
for, and good friend to, Post. In recent years, he has been
a valuable contact on political and economic issues. He and
the Charge -- whose residence is next door to Symonette's --
enjoy a close personal relationship reinforced by family
friendships. The Charge enjoys direct access to Symonette,
and expects that the new professional relationship will
benefit from the outstanding communication they enjoy. The
Charge has found Symonette to be direct, pragmatic, and
generally pro-U.S., though a staunch defender of Bahamian
national interests.

COMMENT: A BEST CASE SCENARIO FOR U.S INTERESTS
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11. (C) Symonette's appointment as Foreign Minister is a
best-case scenario for the U.S. Ingraham's decision to tap
his Deputy Prime Minister, a known friend of the U.S., as
Minister of Foreign Affairs reflects Ingraham's understanding
of the importance of the U.S. relationship and Ingraham's
commitment to making it work for both sides. It may also
have reflected a recognition that Symonette's extensive web
of local business activities could have created conflicts of
interest with other portfolios, as was the case with the
airport contract in his last administration. (Symonette also
had little interest in positions, such as Minister of Works,
repairing roads and installing stoplights.) Symonette's
pragmatism, openness to the U.S. and our views, and direct
channels of communication with Post promise a stronger, more
productive relationship than under the often brooding,
sensitive, and aloof Fred Mitchell.


12. (C) Symonette has been a vocal supporter of a free press
and human rights, and Post believes he will generally offer
more consistent support for U.S. positions on human rights
issues internationally. Symonette will also strongly support
our core counter-drug and migrant interdiction programs. His
Bahamian nationalist focus may lead to a more pragmatic
direction in Foreign Affairs that abandons former Minister
Mitchell's penchant for world travel, building distant ties
with India and China, and activism in the Non-Aligned
Movement. Given his avowed skepticism of the value of
CARICOM, we expect that Symonette will keep Bahamian
engagement with its neighbors to the minimum necessary for
good relations. With Bahamian national issues dominating his
focus, regional and big picture international issues will
likely fade as priorities. As a result, we expect the
Bahamas' flirtation with Cuba to cool, potentially reducing
Bahamian presence in Cuba from an Embassy to a Consulate. We
also hope that Symonette's pragmatic orientation will lead to
greater receptiveness to concluding a Proliferation Security
Initiative agreement -- which had languished over the past
year with the indecisive PLP government.
HARDT