The Tribune

THE Free National Movement has called the Progressive Liberal Party’s planned no confidence vote in Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis nothing more than an “ill-timed” piece of political theatre meant to score points with the electorate.

“The woeful PLP’s objection to FNM policies is nothing new,” the FNM said in a statement. “However, their opposition to improving the state of The Bahamas, for political reasons, is a new low in Bahamian politics. Brave’s attempt to score political points off the suffering of Bahamians after Hurricane Dorian is a disgusting and ill-timed instance of political theatre.

“But that is exactly where the woeful and corrupt PLP want to take us – back into an era in which accountability was absent from government and corruption was the norm. The progress we’ve made as a nation, thanks to the leadership of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, is an assault on the PLP’s preferred system of government that protects corruption and its perpetrators. . .”

The FNM said the Minnis administration is taking the necessary steps to heal the economy “that the PLP wouldn’t,” citing a focus on job growth; action taken to try to improve Bahamas Power and Light and disaster recovery after Hurricane Dorian.

“The PLP is capable of two things: blaming others for the problems they create and waiting for others to fix the problems they create,” the FNM added. “That said, the neglectful PLP is completely incapable of bringing solutions to the table or making any sacrifices for the betterment of the people they are supposed to serve.

“Despite the PLP’s neglect of service in pursuit of political expediency, Prime Minister Minnis won’t stop working to improve the lives of all Bahamians, regardless of their economic status or political associations. In fact, our prime minister is willing to do what it takes to improve our quality of life no matter how popular or unpopular a policy may be because he puts people over politics. Our FNM government will not stop doing what is right in order to score popularity points because all Bahamians deserve a government that puts them before itself.”

Last week, PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis gave notice in the House of Assembly of a resolution of no confidence that he intends to move against Dr Minnis at the next sitting of the House.

It concerns whether Dr Minnis misled Parliament during debate last year on a resolution to enter a five year agreement for the Town Centre Mall to house the General Post Office. The resolution was brought because the mall is partly owned by St Anne’s MP Brent Symonette, who was the minister of immigration and financial services at the time.

The prime minister brushed off the threat last week, telling The Tribune: “I’m more concerned with running the country, getting Abaco and Grand Bahama and adjoining cays back together and getting the economy back online and the quality of life back to where it was. However, if Davis and the opposition want to debate we will not object and we will give them a time for the debate to commence. We welcome it.”

Mr Davis originally announced his no confidence motion plans on July 26 but postponed them because of Hurricane Dorian.

His no confidence resolution notes the constitution mandates that a sitting member of Parliament who becomes interested in a government contract must vacate his or her seat or must obtain an exemption from the House of Assembly “where it appeared to be just to do so” once that interest is disclosed.

The key clause under scrutiny from the Minnis administration’s resolution that was passed last year said: “And whereas one of the beneficial owners of the said Town Centre Mall is a serving Cabinet minister, who did not take part in the discussions leading to the decision to accept the offer to lease portions of the building, which will be made suitable for the operations of the General Post Office at the expense of the landlord; which minister has nonetheless declared his interest.”

After he resigned as minister, Mr Symonette sat for an interview on a ZNS radio show, The Conversation with Shenique Miller, where he revealed he had discussed the terms of the mall lease with Dr Minnis before the matter came to Parliament. He said he was in Mexico when Dr Minnis called him early one morning to indicate the administration was going ahead with the lease. The two then discussed terms, with Mr Symonette indicating the need to reduce the size of the building and explaining that the lease could involve a price of $12 per square foot.