By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
THE former Prime Minister’s farewell should not have taken precedence over the House of Assembly’s agenda, Sir Arlington Butler said yesterday.
Sir Arlington, a former FNM cabinet minister and Speaker of the House, spoke to The Tribune moments after ex-Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham made an early exit from House proceedings.
As a result, neither his scores of supporters gathered in Rawson Square nor the thousands throughout the country were able to witness Mr Ingraham farewell speech.
His address was listed as item J on the House order of business, which would have come after parliament broke for lunch and returned for the afternoon sitting.
Sir Arlington said: “He hadn’t resigned. It was virtually a promissory note to say ‘I will resign in August’ and because it wasn’t a resignation, but a promise to resign, it had to fall in the category that it did.
“I believe he should have stayed around to do it.”
Sir Arlington noted that Sir Orville Turnquest’s resignation in 1994 had a similar scheduling.
However, Alvin Smith, who served as Speaker from 2007 to 2012, said today’s incident was a result of the Christie administration’s bid to render the same treatment to Mr Ingraham afforded to former St Cecilia MP Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt and other former MPs who were not allowed to give final statements.
The last FNM controlled House adjourned in April 2012, just weeks before the general elections.
Mr Smith said: “The government sets the adgenda and they can determine whether they want to accommodate.
“(It is) customary that all of those persons leaving Parliament on the last date that they attend, they would say farewell to the Parliament. During the last parliament, the government moved to an adjournment and so that didn’t happen.
“I guess maybe the government is saying , ‘OK that’s the way it happened when the former Deputy Prime Minister wanted to speak, so we will do the same to a former three-term Prime Minister’.
Mr Smith said Mr Ingraham contributed immensely to the Bahamas and the growth of its economy.
He added that the Speaker of the House should have communicated to Mr Ingraham when his address would have been accommodated, to avoid any confusion.
Comments
pilgrimagerock 12 years, 5 months ago
To say that the former Prime Minister farewell should not have taken precedence over house agenda is self-delusional wishful thinking. There is an old Chinese proverbs quote on vengeance: "He who seeks vengeance must dig two graves: one for his enemy and one for himself." The Lord says that vengeance is mine not yours.
The PLP’s set out to seek revenge on a man who many worlds’ leaders including Caricom member states have the utmost respect for and end up making a complete fool of themselves. I could understand why PLP’s dislike the former Prime Minister. He aired their dirty laundry in public by echoing berated remarks what PLP supporters will say to Mr. Christie in private. One can only imagine what our Caribbean brothers and sisters are saying about the Bahamian people, this PLP government and Mr. Christie right now. I bet you that it not good news.
John 12 years, 5 months ago
Is Hubert Ingraham being humbled or humiliated? Word on the street is that B.E.C workers in New Providence and workers at the power company in freeport caused a blackout to prevent Hubert ingraham's farewell speech from being broadcast. If this is the case it should be investigated and those responsible punished if only for the loss man hours the black outs cause..not to mention inconvenience and equipment damage.
But nevertheless beacuse of other reasons the former PM did not get to make his farewell address and now one has to ask was he being humbled or humiliated. A former P.M. described one of his former collegues after he was taken with illness as, 'more suit than man' , and little did he know that in his latter days illness would too overcome his flesh body and leave him frail and wanting.
Persons cannot easily forget that Hubert Ingraham was less than graceful in the way he handled a former Prime Ministerafter he lost the general elections, forcing him into retirement and engouraging public resentment against his family even in the recent elections. Then there was the incident with Cynthia 'mother' Pratt and others who were retiring before the house was perogued for elections. Rather than let them have their say, Hubert as PM, abruptly ended the house sessions and went into election mode. they were virtually kicked out of ofice unceremionusly after long years of service.
So has Humert's actions now come to haunt him or is Hubert being humbled and moulded for yet another term in office as prime minister? Persons may look and stare and say that is crazy,nay impossible and that Hubert himself does not want to return. Besides he will be in his 70's before the next general elections are called. Seventy may be 'old' in human terms but remember God is much older than 70 and is more wiser than our wisdom. Kinda of old to rescue the Bahamas once again we may say ,but with God all things are possible. Sometimes storms may rage in the midst of your calm, but if your work is not finished you may be called on again to carry on. Hubert ingraham love challenges and if the opportunity presents itself will he have the courage to say "NO" ?
pilgrimagerock 12 years, 5 months ago
Wrong is wrong and it can never be right regardless and anyone who tries to justify wrongness to righteousness is morally corrupt. PLP’s has very short memories on how they once mistreated the Bahamian people and continue to do so. They are quick to point their fingers at anyone who is less than graceful towards them but at the same they refused to acknowledge in public that their former party leader committed a lot of injustice towards FNM’s such as ordering his supporters to throw rock at them because in those days, known FNM supporters got beat up by PLP’s.
What Hubert Ingraham and Perry Christie did was wrong but what Lynden Pindling did was wrong too. If Mr. Ingraham can swallow his pride for a day to allow the late Mr. Pindling to say farewell to the country, it is beyond me why Mr. Christie refuse to do likewise. What goes around comes around but vengeance is the Lord.
pilgrimagerock 12 years, 5 months ago
fairchance 12 years, 5 months ago
THE WORST PRIME MINISTER THE BAHAMAS HAD SO FAR PERRY CHRISTIE!
Arob 12 years, 5 months ago
Is Sir Arlington Butler responsible for the adulteration of a comon term for a banking instrument "promissory note" to a "letter of resignation"?
PM Christie may not have spoken with the Speaker, but it is possible that a bitter Sir Arlington could have lead the strategy. (bitter is culled from his recent interviews). On Thursday, the PM was singing from the same page.
Is Sir Arlington the puppeteer?
Nationalist 12 years, 4 months ago
uh huh!
John 12 years, 4 months ago
We must also remember that what our lleaders do is no longer behind closed doors...not only is the world watching but we have future generations of Bahamians watching and seeing how we treat people who have served this country with dedication and distinction. Allow them to go GRACEFULLY into that goodnight.
But then too, the bible informs us that in the end days governments will fail because rather than being about the peoples' business leaders will have minds of children and get caught up in unnecessary situations and brawls, not unlike we are seeing before our eyes right now. Prophecy is being fulfilled.
pilgrimagerock 12 years, 4 months ago
Well said, John. I wonder if our leaders realize or do they really care that they are being watched too.
maryann 12 years, 4 months ago
SIR ARLINGTON BUTLER COMES ON A PARTICULAR TALK SHOW EVERY OTHER DAY FOR SOME REASONS OR ANOTHER NOT SPEAKING AT ALL ANYTHING POSITIVE OF THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER EVEN WHEN HE WAS IN THE PM SEAT, PEOPLE LIKE THEM YOU DONOT SEEK TO HAVE INTERVIEWS WITH ,BECAUSE OF THEIR BIAS REACTIONS WILL BE TO CERTAIN SUBJECTS, YOU KNOW BEFORE THE INTERVIEW WHAT HIS REPLY WILL BE.
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