GOLDEN Isles MP Vaughn Miller.
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune News Editor
tmthompson@tribunemedia.net
Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller has announced his departure from the Free National Movement, telling Parliament moments ago that he would like to be seated among the independents at the next House of Assembly meeting.
His shock resignation came after he lambasted the Minnis administration for entering into a lease agreement with Town Centre Mall to house the General Post Office. The mall is partly owned by St Anne’s MP Brent Symonette. Mr Symonette was a sitting Cabinet minister at the time the lease was entered into.
Mr Miller was making a contribution during debate on a confidence resolution in Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis on Wednesday. The debate started as a vote of no confidence in Dr Minnis brought by opposition leader Philip Davis, however it was amended to a confidence vote by the governing side on Wednesday.
Ahead of his announcement, Mr Miller cited a verse of scripture, noting that two sides can’t walk together unless they agree, adding it was clear his differences with the FNM are irreconcilable.
A day earlier, FNM Chairman Carl Culmer told this newspaper that those in the party who did not vote in support of Dr Minnis do not support the FNM.
“If you don’t support the leader, you are telling us upfront you don’t support the party and the government,” Mr Culmer said on Tuesday.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Tribune.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 5 years ago
FNM really need to buy a clue. I can see them voting no in this to keep party united but to change it to a confidence vote? The worst leader the party has ever had??? They can't actually think the country is in step with them on this empty suit of a leader???? They really need to buy a clue....
truetruebahamian 5 years ago
I see nothing wrong with the Town Centre Mall as being a gateway offered by someone who can offer that gateway for a lesser price and make good our postal system, also supply maintenance and parking necessary for our prime mail delivery system for necessary mail delivery and timely receipt of what we also are required as a necessary address that can be confirmed. It is often the case that some who offer themselves for political office do not have - some the capacity - some the integrity - to hold that trust or intelligence quotient absolutely required - but can persuade voters to go blndly for promises the delivery of which they unable to deliver - and that, they have known from the outset.
ThisIsOurs 5 years ago
what I find egregious about the conflict of interest rules, btw established by the men who stand to gain from such conflicts, is that all you have to do to remove a conflict is to openly state that you have a conflict. There are no steps outlined to examine the problematic proposal to see if there truly are no other avenues that could be pursued, no documentation necessary to be published to show side by side comparison and debate on alternatives...you just say I have a conflict and it's done.
sirD 5 years ago
He has done nothing for his constituents. He will be a Has been next election
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years ago
You mean Tweedle-Dumb Minnis....right?
joeblow 5 years ago
Whenever a MP steps out from the government they are either principled or they have not benefited from a sweetheart deal yet. Time will tell which is which!
BahamaPundit 5 years ago
I would love to see a vote of no confidence. You all see me as a smart fellow I hope. I have zero confidence in Minnis ability to lead this country forward. ZERO!!!!
sheeprunner12 5 years ago
Sooooooo, give me two other better alternative PMs ......... SMH
John 5 years ago
Well, another shot has been fired across the bow of the FNM political ship, and another hand has jumped off the deck and overboard, even as the waters are treacherous, both politically and economically. And one must ask;
"Was all the talk about a minimum wage increase a mere distraction or an attempt to garner support for the embattled prime minister?' And Vaughn Miller's decision to quit at this time? Does this give him to reconcile with the FNM before elections or negotiate with other parties to join forces?
Whilst the FNM government may be far from being toppled, it is clear that it is losing support and will have to fight hard over the next 21/2 years to prove that it is, indeed, the people's time and that the FNM deserves another five years. In any event, there will be casualties and on numerous occasions, the FNM will be called out and whipped for decisions and policies that did not sit well with the Bahamian people.
And, of course, no one expected the vote of no confidence in the prime minister to carry but it did reveal some loose threads the FNM fabric, despite an effort to put on a unified face, some members had to do so by not representing the clear wishes of their constituents. The support for Minnis cannot be likened to putting lipstick on a pig, because most will have to admit that The Minnis Administration has been hard-working, and among other accomplishments was able to slow, if not stop the severe hemorrhaging of public funds. The cake of this administrarion's five year term in office is already half baked. And will it rise to become a cake that can be decorated in the FNM's colors in 2022 with a slogan that says, Its really the people's time, this time'
BahamaPundit 5 years ago
If I had my way the Bahamian people would be in the streets protesting until Minnis was forced to resign. Raised VAT. No FOIA. Messed up Dorian completely. Failed shanty towns. Failed two corruption trials. Losing financial services. No plan!!!! This guy has not gotten a single thing right since day one and makes Perry Christie look like Albert Einstein.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years ago
Not to mention that corrupt Tweedle-Dumb Minnis has done nothing to stop the Haitian invasion and just about everything to exacerbate it. The last thing our country needed after Vomit was this most corrupt and incompetent loser of a PM who kisses Sebas Bastian's butt for his supper!
BahamaPundit 5 years ago
And BPL. What a fiasco!!!!
ThisIsOurs 5 years ago
and oban
BahamaPundit 5 years ago
The deepest cut was when Minnis refused to pass the FOIA and campaign finance reform. After that, he was done for me. Completely done!!!!
The_Oracle 5 years ago
So, when will Competent, un-conflicted, intelligent Bahamians stand forth to institute proper leadership? Because without an answer to that question, we will spend the next 100 years putting out the same garbage. ever 5 years.
Economist 5 years ago
"Competent, un-conflicted, intelligent Bahamians"
Difficult to find these days. Most have left the country, having been chased out by the majority of narrow minded biggotes that make up most of the remaining population.
tetelestai 5 years ago
Actually, that's not true, Economist - generally speaking. The Bahamians are here but, after doing the calculus, i.e. the low pay of a politician, having to solve every problem as far as Bahamians are concerned (and, of course, you better stay broke while you do it!), the gross intrusion on your public like and that of your family, and of course the utterly ridiculous, ungrateful Bahamians (just read the nonsense on this message board), the intelligent Bahamians have, in my view, made the intelligent decision and have remained in private life.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years ago
Do you really believe the vast majority of D - educated Bahamians are capable of doing the kind of calculus you speak of @tetelestai? Suggest you just accept that corrupt governments the world over are prone to mercilessly preying on their country's citizenry by making it a point to keep the masses as uneducated and poor as possible, i.e. very deliberately dumbed-down and impoverished. Those who can, simply flee to other more desirable countries; hence the well known brain-drain problem that has afflicted the Bahamas for decades now. I'm in Montana enjoying the freezing cold ;-)
sheeprunner12 5 years ago
This is a PLP hoax ........... can you smart people not see that????????
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