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Mitchell warns of tit-for-tat response to PLP arrests

Senator Fred Mitchell.

Senator Fred Mitchell.

As of Friday, August 4, 2017

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

IF the Free National Movement loses the next general election, National Security Minister Marvin Dames “will understand what tit-for-tat means,” Senator Fred Mitchell has said, adding the governing party is “slave shaming” the opposition Progressive Liberal Party by charging former PLP politicians in court.

Mr Mitchell insisted the FNM is “setting a dangerous precedent” in how it is now handling the political affairs of the country.

He suggested the governing party has “turned on” its opponents and is attempting to use the state to imprison, bad mouth and create a bad image of them across the country.

While the former Fox Hill MP encouraged supporters to move forward despite the government allegedly creating “political prisoners,” Mr Mitchell said the party will hold a national convention in October.

However, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts would not confirm whether the party plans to have its convention in two months. He said when this is set in stone, the organisation would make a formal announcement.

“Poor Marvin Dames who is the minister of national security and appears to be conducting this witch hunt against the PLP from his office in Nassau went to the newspaper a couple of days ago last week and said he didn’t understand the notion of tit-for-tat,” Mr Mitchell said to the small group of supporters gathered Wednesday night in Bailey Town, Bimini during a PLP branch meeting. “He says because this isn’t tit-for-tat. The police are actually doing their investigations and he doesn’t understand it.

“Well I tell you what. I bet you (certain PLP politicians’) children understand what tit-for-tat means. And when they lose in five years, I think Marvin Dames will understand what tit-for-tat means because if this now is the precedent for how you conduct the political affairs of The Bahamas you are setting a dangerous precedent.

“Because it means now that every little faux pas and every exercise of judgment and every little management issue you’re involved in suddenly becomes criminal and you then turn on your political opponents and use the state to imprison them and to bad mouth them and to create a bad image of these people across the country.

“So that’s the precedent. So you can’t be surprised if PLP supporters, upon winning again, say that’s the road that we are going to go down. So if . . . whoever survives the FNM government is seen in handcuffs being paraded before the court because of some decision that he made while he is in government, nobody can feel sorry for them in five years. We have to be very careful.

“What is happening here is they are slave shaming us. Emancipation Day is coming up on the 6th of August.”

Regarding the PLP’s convention, Mr Mitchell said he remains hopeful PLP Leader Philip “Brave” Davis will retain the post.

“I told him what I’m trying to do, I actually want him to succeed as leader of this party.

“I am actually concretising where we are in building on a solid base and putting together an organisation that is like the one I remember during the glory days of the PLP where branches met on a regular basis and existed, where being a branch chairman was an important thing to be in a community, where people knew who the leaders of the PLP are and where younger people were engaged in the dialogue of the forward progress of the party.

“So I am trying to search myself for some kind of formal role to be able to do that. So I’d like to work and talk to him about what that role could be. I think it is important not to abandon ship.

“I know the current fashion is that everybody who is in quotes ‘old’ must go because everybody is held responsible for the loss.”

He continued: “Let me put it this way, the last leader of the PLP was Perry Christie. He gave a speech (and) he indicated that he accepted fully the responsibility for the loss.

“That puts a red line under this matter, there needs to be no discussion or debate about it. It’s done. Stop wringing your hands. Let us move forward. The FNM has a mandate for five years. That’s 60 months. Three have gone. That’s 57 to go, next month four will be gone and 56 to go.

“Now that’s the same time period that we have to get a victory wagon going and the more we sit around ringing our hands and saying ‘oh dear God we lost and they are locking up this one and the next one’ get up on your hind quarters and let’s go and move. Let’s move forward. The party has a great legacy (and) there is nothing to be ashamed of. The only apology that we have to give is for allowing this country to be turned over to these people,” Mr Mitchell said.

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Comments

lkalikl 7 years, 3 months ago

This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.

Porcupine 7 years, 3 months ago

Honesty always hurts, and is censored.

DDK 7 years, 3 months ago

I'm sure it was a good one! Sorry we missed it!

birdiestrachan 7 years, 3 months ago

All truth full Bahamians know what tit for tat means, only a real fool would believe that certain people are not behind this Now they may be able to fool some people. But the majority know better.

concernedcitizen 7 years, 3 months ago

The majority voted the PLP out

jackbnimble 7 years, 3 months ago

How do you answer an idiot? The short answer is you don't. But FM is the exception. Never ever have I seen a politician so self-absorbed and deluded!

He actually thinks the likes of Brave Davis (no doubt with his 'smart' backing) can lead the PLP to a win at the polls in 5 years while actually admitting that people are tired of the old guard? Jesus. Cab you spell S-T-U-P-I-D!

He and Davis are exactly what's wrong with that party. When are they going to wake up and realize that the Bahamian people do not care for either of them.

Man take a chill pill, hang it up and go join your old mash up and finished leader!

yari 7 years, 3 months ago

No proclamation of innocence from Freddy just a when we get back in power we will do the same to you. It speaks volumes...

We_doomed_242 7 years, 3 months ago

Birdie there u go again sitting on your perch until some plp ass wanna be relevant with 15 secs of fame under the spot light then u take the next 15 secs and post dumb shit on this website ......sigh Fred Mitchell head far up ya ass or vice versa

jus2cents 7 years, 3 months ago

I do hope Freddy Boy will be investigated too, not just because he is guilty by association (i.e. THEY ALL MUST have Known who was taking kickbacks!) But he probably has a few skeletons in his 'closets' And I mean for REAL actual Dead bodies LOL !

TalRussell 7 years, 3 months ago

Comrades! I think the former PLP cabinet minister's remarks remarks would have been better left unsaid. But there are no legit fingers being pointed negatively at the former minister's honesty in government.
Let's wait to take a look at other 'new' cabinet members who might barely have time to settle into their new portfolios. ... before they're forced to resign? Why not reserve your posts for the fallen red shirts? If they too do wrong......let's hope they too will be legged- ironed to be paraded like cattle on the way to the justice (slaughter) house!

DDK 7 years, 3 months ago

I am sure most of the posters will not agree, but I do think that perhaps the leg restraints are overkill

sheeprunner12 7 years, 3 months ago

The country needs to just boycott Fweddy ....... He needs to go and live with his California lovers

DillyTree 7 years, 3 months ago

"slave shaming" ????????????????

What on earth is Freddy talking about? He's lost it. Sandilands has an opening. Tribune, please stop giving this first class jackass any more print. He's a national embarrassment.

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 3 months ago

Mitchell is unhappy with the new precedent of honest governments that serve the people. He wants a return to the old precedent of corrupt governments that serve crooked greedy politicians. This is one racist man whose mind is now so twisted that he still doesn't understand the loud and clear message we the people sent to him and the PLP last May at the polls. Mitchell no longer has any relevance whatsoever in Bahamian politics and that will forevermore be the case. The good people of Fox Hill will see to that.

Reality_Check 7 years, 3 months ago

Fred had better hope his titty does not get tatted as a result of malfeasance or nonfeasance on his part!

CatIslandBoy 7 years, 3 months ago

What seems to be lost on these out-dated PLP politicians, and their supporters, is the serious crimes of corruption that these former ministers have been charged with. How can anyone call the supposed extortion of almost a million dollars a "Witch Hunt", or "Slave-shaming". Are these apologists saying that it is ok for any politician to steal this kind of money, directly or indirectly, from the People's Treasury and face no consequences? Any Bahamian who believes that politicians of any political color should not face legal consequences for their malfeasance while in public office should be ashamed of themselves.

realfreethinker 7 years, 3 months ago

F..k you Fred Mitchell.f.ck you birdie.Fred is an irrelevant asshole. i hope he and brave remain in the plp so they can get a larger can of whoopass in 2022.I hope someday the new generation of plp rescues their party from the like of brave, brad, obie,fweddy and birdie,and to a lessser extent TalRussell

baldbeardedbahamian 7 years, 3 months ago

Kaliki, sorry I missed your post before it was removed but I can probably recreate the essence of it from your previous ones. So I agree with you totally whatever it was that you wrote.. Fred Mitchell is a potential danger to democracy. It has puzzled me for years that the Tribune has always been so keen to publish his self-serving drivel.

Honestman 7 years, 3 months ago

Fred Mitchell is one warped individual.

watcher 7 years, 3 months ago

Thanks Fred. You've already warned us in advance that if ever you get back into power, you will show the same vindictiveness as in the past. The people now know that the PLP are still committed to the exact same policies that got them drummed out at the last election. Talk about a leopard never changing its spots !!!! You were the one who treated us, your paymasters, as if you were the master and us the slaves.

avidreader 7 years, 3 months ago

Let us recall that Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is still in power and ruling over his starving people at the ripe old age of 90 years if the recent news reports are to be trusted. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the majority of Bahamians have become accustomed to living on a little more than a handful of peanuts and a glass of water each day while their leaders build mansions and feed them a line of hogwash intended to fill their empty bellies. While it is true that Bahamians are not accustomed to seeing politicians hauled before the courts for alleged crimes against the public purse it is also true that many countries have convicted their former leaders of massive corruption. Brazil and their former president Lula is just one example. Like the gangster in Rio de Janeiro told the reporter (in Portuguese, of course): "The politicians steal with a pen, I steal with a gun".

BMW 7 years, 3 months ago

Go away you P.O.S.!!!!!!

Porcupine 7 years, 3 months ago

Fred Mitchell,

You are holding this country back every time you open your poisoned mouth. Please give The Bahamas a chance to heal. Keep your foolish and childish thoughts to yourself. You have done this country grave injustice by calling yourself a leader. You are not a leader. You sir, are a LOSER. Go away. For good.

Tarzan 7 years, 3 months ago

Fred, there will always be a place for you in one of your two favorite socialist paradises, Cuba or Venezuela. Please go and enjoy.

proudloudandfnm 7 years, 3 months ago

What a scumbag...

BahamaPundit 7 years, 3 months ago

What an aweful little man. Fred makes Trump seem easy going. This guy has a massive chip on his shoulder and should be nowhere near Bahamian politics.

truetruebahamian 7 years, 3 months ago

Mitchell is just a nasty little child with a nasty little child's mind and a nasty little child's mouth.

Jetflt 7 years, 3 months ago

STUPID would be exactly what FM is. What an ignorant statement from an ignoramous. The FNM is doing exactly what any honest and ethical government should be doing you stupid fool. If tit-for-tat means crooked and corrupt politicians are brought to justice no matter whether they are PLP or FNM, then that's just fine!

DaGoobs 7 years, 3 months ago

Dread Fred is beyond delusional and this article proves it. Fred equates the prosecution of his former colleagues to "... every little faux pas and every exercise of judgment and every little management issue you’re involved in suddenly becomes criminal and you then turn on your political opponents and use the state to imprison them and to bad mouth them and to create a bad image of these people across the country". Yes Fred the "faux pax and ... exercise of judgment" is apparently that Smith, Dorsett and Gibson decided to extort money and take bribes from people that they had given contracts to while in political office. The decision on whether these events actually happened will be left to a judge and jury to decide, based on proof beyond reasonable doubt. Mitchell and Brave and Munroe forget that when they were in power between 2012 and May 2017 there was no public outcry from any of them over the way that anyone and everyone charged with a crime was handcuffed and manacled and made to do the shuffle on TV from South Street Police Station to the Magistrates Court or the Bank Lane Shuffle from Cental Station to the Supreme Court, so what makes it a witch hunt or any different simply because Frank Smith, Kenred Dorsett and Shane Gibson now find themselves before the courts on some serious charges? Fred and Brave know that these charges only arise because the people who were allegedly asked to pay the bribes or who were allegedly extorted presumably gave the Police statements, evidence and information upon which such charges are based. Or doesn't this country operate on or believe in the rule of law anymore? Fred can tit-for-tat that if and when he ever gets back into power but obviously he and Brave believe in one legal system for everyone else charged with a crime and a kinder, gentler legal system for ex-PLP MPs that differentiates in their favour based on their perceived status and does not subject them to the same rigours as the ordinary criminal defendant.

SP 7 years, 3 months ago

You can't fix stupid, but you can vote them out of office!

SP 7 years, 3 months ago

IF the Free National Movement loses the next general election, it certainly won't be to Pillage Loot Plunder!

Freddy boy had better wake up sooner or later and have a strong dose of this new reality because in case he missed it thus far, the majority of Bahamians want absolutely NOTHING to do with Pillage Loot Plunder and I cannot see anything they can do to regain the peoples' trust.

PM Sheriff Minnis is letting Pillage Loot Plunder own miss deeds against the people and country cement they're future beyond the point of no return!

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