NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Michael Pintard yesterday condemned both former Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell for what he called “irresponsible behavior”.
The comment was in relation to an exchange by the two politicians that led to a group of party supporters gathering outside of Parliament on Wednesday to “defend” Prime Minister Philip Davis.
Mitchell sent out a clarion call to supporters after Minnis told The Tribune he could not wait to get to Parliament to “buss” the prime minister for his comments surrounding the former administration’s COVID-19 food distribution program.
As a result of the call, which was in the form of several voice notes, Minnis submitted a request to Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle for additional security at Parliament and suggested that Mitchell’s statement was a threat to his personal safety.
Dozens of Progressive Liberal Party supporters gathered outside Parliament in response to a clarion call by PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell. Tensions heightened when former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis arrived with a small FNM delegation of his own, which then led to an exchange of words between the two groups after Minnis went into the room.
Pintard was responding to Freetown MP and Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe after he attempted to scold the former prime minister for wasting police resources.
Munroe, who was making his contribution to the 2021/2022 mid-year budget debate, said: “no member of Parliament has a privilege to come in this place and bust anybody’s backside. That is not a privilege set out anywhere in our law”.
He noted that Minnis already has assigned to him three officers from the Security Intelligence Branch, all of who are armed.
“He was sufficiently afraid that he forced police resources to be sent to this place and we have very serious problems in this country and their precedes could have been used elsewhere,” Munroe said.
“That is the type of flippant nonsense that must end. We must be more responsible.”
He furthered that the Official Opposition should have condemned Minnis’ comments, insisting that young people are watching and listening.
However, the MARCO City MP charged that Munroe was being one-sided in his criticism.
“If we are going to make progress in terms of having the appropriate standard of behavior, then your condemnation and your rebuke should be across the board.”
But Munroe maintained that Mitchell “very simply” urged to extort our supporters to come to this place and defend our prime minister.
Pintard charged further that the actions of both political figures were wrong.
“You are unprepared to say that calling persons downtown is a potential problem,” he said.
“The member for Cat Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador does not need a hoard of people coming downtown because he has ample protection and he ain’t never scared.
“In my view, those were irresponsible words on both sides and they were sideshows of theatrical performance and you are not seeking to bring balance, you are seeking to take a political shot, other than that you would roundly rebuke all sides.”
Despite the exchange, Munroe didn’t budge in his stance, pointing to a court matter involving former Bains and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson and a private citizen, who threatened to “drop a bomb on him” and was convicted.
“I take it very seriously,” Munroe added.
“We admire him for keeping his cool and continuing to show restrain for categorizing behavior”.
