Senator Fred Mitchell weighs in on BPL saga

Senator Fred Mitchell weighs in on BPL saga
Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Senator Fred Mitchell.

Senator Fred Mitchell weighed in on the Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) saga recently, specifically the way former Chairman Darnell Osborne was handled in the matter.

Mitchell said he was disappointed in Minister of Works Desmond Bannister’s assertions regarding Osborne.

Former Bahamas Power and Light Chairman, Darnell Osborne.

“The statements made by the minister (are) unacceptable and sexist,” the Senator said.

“The Free National Movement (FNM) is supposed to be a political party that stands up for equality for women and the first thing they do is they come with this silliness about make-up and all the rest of this, which is really sexist and just to say that this is a silly woman.

“I think [his remarks] are really reprehensible. Not only was it wrong factually, it was incorrect and that needs to be corrected.”

Speaking in his capacity as the chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Mr. Mitchell echoed party leader Philip Davis’ call for a formal investigation into the matter.

“We’ve called for the Auditor General to be provided with the resources to do this so that there can be a neutral and transparent report given to parliament, and then have the overlooking eyes of the Public Accounts Committee,” Mitchell stated.

“(With) all of the back and forth that’s been going on in the FNM, it’s pretty clear that something untoward is going on, and it needs to have a transparent investigation to deal with it,” he said. “There needs to be an independent investigation.  The investigation the Prime Minister said he is going to do is not enough.”

Meanwhile,  the New Providence Women’s Branch of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is also standing with the ousted female executive.  In a statement issued on Sunday, branch chairman Virginia Thurston urged Minister Bannister to apologize to all women in the country, not just Osborne, for “these sexist remarks.”