The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE “brute force” used by police officers as they attempted to remove FNM Leader Hubert Minnis from parliament was an abuse of law enforcement, party chairman Darron Cash said yesterday.

Mr Cash blasted the government for the “heavy-handed and militaristic” actions of police officers, which he compared to the behaviour of Middle Eastern dictatorships trying to retain power.

He said: “The actions of hand-picked senior officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force in the House of Assembly were deeply troubling.

“These senior officers, led by the Prime Minister’s personally selected Shadow Commissioner of Police ... demonstrated a rough, heavy-handed and militaristic approach to handling members of the official opposition.

“Absolutely no deference was paid to these parliamentarians.

“The sanctity of one of our nation’s most important institutions of democracy came under attack this past Wednesday by the Christie government and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, MP for Garden Hills Kendal Major. As a result of their well-co-ordinated conspiracy the Bahamas was pushed seven giant steps closer to being a police state.”

More than ten officers swarmed the lower chamber on Wednesday in a bid to enforce an order that Dr Minnis be banned from the House after he was named for refusing to withdraw comments made against Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Dr Minnis has been barred from the House for two sittings of parliament.

Yesterday, PLP chairman Bradley Roberts described the incident as the worst political blunder he had ever seen.

In his press statement, Mr Cash also went on to question the objectives of the new Police Intelligence Unit.

“Is this unit being used primarily to spy on political enemies — real or perceived? To what extent are they using wire taps, electronic surveillance and other means to achieve the narrow political interest of keeping tabs on political opponents?

“One wonders if there are any respected boundaries for this Christie government that has determined that the ends justify the means. Bahamians have good reason to be suspicious.”

He added: “For all their heavy-handed intimidation, the stem cell debate has proven that Prime Minister Christie is leader of a government that is too compromised to govern effectively.

“As the leader of the opposition told party supporters on Wednesday evening, it is time for Mr Christie to go back to the people in a general election.”