The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

GOLDEN Isles MP Vaughn Miller said he intends to remain in front-line politics, but he’s mulling over whether to remain independent or become aligned with another party.

Mr Miller told The Tribune that despite being alienated from the Free National Movement and disagreeing with its positions, which ultimately led to his resignation from the party two weeks ago, he has not completely given up on mainstream politics.

While it is more challenging to be elected as an independent, Mr Miller said he sees the value of swing voters, whom he believes have multiplied in recent years.

This grouping, according to the MP, determines the outcomes of modern day general elections.

Mr Miller said: “I intend personally to remain in politics, however before I made this decision (to resign) I spoke to my wife and some other persons I am close with so they were aware of what I was going to do. I am going to have a follow-up conversation with them and take a lot of time, not only to think, but I am a pastor and believer in the Christian faith and so I am going to take some personal time in prayer and meditation.

“Personally I do intend to remain in politics, absolutely, but I want to make certain that this is the will of God for my life at this time.”

He also said: “The group of Bahamians that we term swing voters, I call them independent voters. They are not party aligned in their voting. That grouping of voters has expanded and grown tremendously and it’s that grouping of voters who will determine who we have in government.

“The bases of the PLP or the FNM do not determine who are in government. It’s the independent voters who make that determination.

“I think the Bahamas is still PLP or FNM so my decision will have to be if I decide to be party aligned or if I decide to remain independent and that if I decide to remain in active front-line politics, obviously that would be party aligned PLP, DNA or if some other entity emerges or continue as an independent so that decision definitely will have to be made.

“I give myself by the first quarter of next year and will use that as my window of opportunity to decide whether I intend to remain in active frontline politics,” Mr Miller added.

This comes after Golden Isles Constituency Association Chairman Brian Brown told this newspaper last week that Mr Miller had been mentally and physically absent from the area long before he resigned from the FNM.

Mr Brown also said the situation made it clear that the organisation needed to do a better job at selecting its candidates.

Mr Miller said these comments were “disingenuous”, adding his relationship with the association had been strained after he voted against the increase of value added tax last year.

Relations deteriorated after he voted against the government’s resolution to relocate the General Post Office to the Town Centre Mall. The mall is partly owned by St Anne’s MP Brent Symonette, who was minister of immigration at the time the resolution was debated in Parliament.

“Nobody (from the party) pulled me in. It’s very surprising to me because like I said I didn’t enter politics to be what we call a political dissident,” Mr Miller said. “That wasn’t my intent so I was looking forward to having that conversation.”

He added: “I would certainly say in the leadership that I served under I expected more communication (and) more interactions. I expected more in terms of more reaching out. You expect a difference, but it’s how you handle the difference. I don’t think they were handled well at all.”