Retired NBA basketball champion Rick Fox, who in recent weeks has become increasingly vocal on Bahamian political issues, yesterday announced the launch of a civic platform called The Bahamas Future Movement, which he pledged will be “non-partisan and uncompromising”.
Fox said the mission of the civic platform is “forcing transparency where silence has taken hold”.
“We will give Bahamians a voice loud enough to be heard; hold every party accountable before votes are cast [and] make transparency the price of seeking power,” he said in a social media post.
“I am investing $1 million of my own money to build this movement — no donors, no strings, accountable only to the Bahamian people.”
With a general election due next year, Fox, who is an ambassador-at-large, has mounted a social media campaign that has garnered widespread attention, both locally and internationally.
While he has announced his plan to run in the election and noted that both the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM) have been pursuing him, Fox said yesterday he is not joining any political parties yet.
“Many have asked, ‘Which party are you joining?’” he said.
“None, not yet – not because I’m undecided, but because silence is still masquerading as governance.”
Fox added, “I won’t offer loyalty to a system that treats transparency as a threat. I won’t choose sides when neither side is willing to state its position. This is not avoidance, it is accountability.
“I have been open about my interest in serving. I have been honest about my questions, my values, and the seriousness with which I am approaching this moment. I am not hiding. I am listening. I am learning.”
Citing a “pattern” of government silence, Fox called on all political party leaders to make their positions clear on key issues.
“To every political party and leader: tell us where you stand on election integrity; tell us your plan for border preparedness; tell us what you know and what you don’t — publicly, clearly, now,” he said.
“The moment any party answers these questions in good faith, I will listen. I will engage. I will work together for the future of our country.
“When I do choose, it will be where transparency has the best chance to lead. Until then, I stand with the people demanding answers, not with a system that hides behind silence.”
Fox spoke to specific concerns regarding immigration, referring to the potential impact of hundreds of thousands of Haitians leaving the United States in the coming months, as their Temporary Protected Status is scheduled to be terminated in February.
He also cited what he sees as the hasty passage of the Smuggling of Migrants Bill, which became controversial as parliamentarians debated it due to a now-deleted clause that would have granted smuggled migrants immunity from prosecution while targeting the smugglers and their organizations.
“Last week, Parliament passed a Smuggling of Migrants Act at lightning speed,” Fox said.
“Urgency? Absolutely. Sovereignty matters, preparedness matters, but transparency matters too.
“We are a nation of 400,000 citizens. What happens when 350,000 asylum seekers need a place to go? When does enforcement begin? What are the routes? What guarantees that The Bahamas won’t become a spillover zone?
“What troubled many Bahamians was not that action was taken but that it was taken with minimal public briefing, no visible capacity assessment, and little dialogue about downstream impact.
“When governments move quickly but refuse to explain their thinking, citizens have every right to ask why. That silence doesn’t calm people. It unsettles them.”
Fox also called for electoral reform.
“Since the by-election, I have asked every party the same questions,” he said.
“We are still waiting. Will you commit to a National Day of Voting, so no Bahamian has to choose between democracy and survival?
“Will you increase transparency in ballot handling and counting, so trust is earned, not demanded?
“Will you guarantee secret, secure, verified votes? One person, one vote, one time.
“Will you commit to addressing these issues before calling the next general election?”
Fox said his requests are not partisan ones but “baseline requirements for trust”.
“What is concerning is not disagreement on their part, it is refusal to even engage — on borders [or] on ballots, on what matters most. Their silence can no longer be the answer.”