House Speaker rescinds letter demanding apology

House Speaker rescinds letter demanding apology
Speaker of the House of Assembly Halson Moultrie. (FILE PHOTO)

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — House Speaker Halson Moultrie has rescinded his earlier letter ordering Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin to apologize for her conduct during a previous sitting or be excluded from House proceedings.

Parliamentary clerk David Forbes confirmed there will be no attempt to prevent Hanna-Martin from enjoying all of her Parliamentary Privileges in a letter to Leader of Opposition Business Picewell Forbes this morning.

“I am directed by the Speaker to advise that representations have been made to him, which appears to have the support of both sides of the divide in the House, and will result in an amicable resolution to issues raised in the earlier correspondence today,” the letter read.

“As a result of this new development the Speaker wishes my earlier letter to you rescinded. The result of this new development is that no attempt will be made to prevent Mrs. Hanna-Martin from enjoying all of her Parliamentary Privileges.”

Opposition Leader Philip Brave Davis yesterday called on supporters to join the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) at the House of Assembly this morning to resist what he called the “tyranny” of House of Assembly Speaker Halson Moultrie.

Davis said the PLP would seek to legal recourse if Hanna-Martin is unlawfully excluded from House of Assembly proceedings.

Last week Tuesday, Moultrie sought to remove the Englerston MP from the House of Assembly chamber after a brief, but tense spat between the opposition member and the governing side.

Leader of Government Business in the House Renward Wells moved to suspend proceedings shortly after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tabled a new proclamation of emergency issued by Governor General CA Smith.

Hanna-Martin accused the government of misconduct for failing to allow Davis to address the House on the proclamation.

After continued objections, despite warnings from the speaker, Moultrie ordered Hanna-Martin be removed for “creating a disturbance” and breaching the rules of the House.

Hanna-Martin did not oblige and continued to take exception to the move.

The House was suspended until today.