Shanendon Cartwright throwing the mace from the window of the House of Assembly. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
SHANENDON Cartwright, the MP for St Barnabas, seized the mace in the House of Assembly and threw it from the window during a session this morning.
The Speaker of the House then ordered the removal of the MP from the House - but as officers attempted to do so, members of the Opposition linked arms in an effort to prevent his removal.
Officers finally ejected the FNM MPs from the Opposition bench - before Parliament resumed without their presence.
The Speaker has resumed the House, saying that she was "in fear for my life". She says she was assaulted, was almost hit, "thank God for a glass of water in front of me". The Deputy Speaker has gone to hospital after being hit in the head, she says, and a police officer was hurt.
Speaker Patricia Deveaux said: "This is a dark day in this political arena that we call politics. For the first time in my life when I took the oath of office, I felt challenged and I was in fear for my life. I will review the tapes and I will apprise the country later of my findings but during today's event I was assaulted, I was hit, thank God for a glass of water in front of me. The honourable deputy speaker was given a blow to the head and has to go to hospital. And we have a police officer with terrible damage to his leg.
"This is Parliament, this is where we come, where we were elected to come to take care of the citizens of this country. This is not a political arena. This is Parliament and this Speaker, I'm strong, I will uphold the rights of the Bahamian people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas as long as I sit in this chair. I am not a weakling. God is my protector."
FNM MPs were seen to be pulled out of the House and then down the stairs by police officers, before a protest was held outside Parliament.
Comments
Dawes 7 hours, 49 minutes ago
The speaker is terrible. If you want someone to make a situation worse, call on her. How the PM is unable to see this is beyond me. But i guess anything that makes people talk about something other then the US arrests is good news
whatsup 7 hours, 44 minutes ago
AGREED
Porcupine 48 minutes ago
Agreed
whatsup 7 hours, 41 minutes ago
So a glass of water prevented her from being assaulted??? Must have been a huge glass of water.
moncurcool 6 hours, 54 minutes ago
How a glass of water protects her is amazing, if she is so much in fear of her life.
I thought Moultrie was the worst speaker we ever had, but this woman makes Moultrie look like a genius.
She is the overriding reason I don't even watch what goes on in that ghetto place.
2026 cannot hurry up and arrive.
DonAnthony 7 hours, 30 minutes ago
We need a general election. The Bahamian people no longer have confidence in this government or the police force.
K4C 5 hours, 50 minutes ago
Yep time to change a dollar for 4 quarters again
birdiestrachan 7 hours, 30 minutes ago
Cartwright and pintard are not PLP and they are not Sir Lynden Pindling or sir Milo Butler. They were putting on a bad show shame on them they cannot wear sir Lynden Or Mr Butlers old shoes shame on them . Power at any cost is who they are
bahamianson 7 hours, 17 minutes ago
really? I would not say all that , now. This is not to say good or bad of the former , either.
truetruebahamian 1 hour, 25 minutes ago
Honestly birdiestrachan you are a donkeys rump. Your stupidity only amplifies the low brain connection with the plp, you and Antoine. But he is marginally better.
realfreethinker 6 hours, 21 minutes ago
They need to get a crane and throw the speaker out of the HOA. Worst speaker ever
yari 4 hours, 48 minutes ago
Amen!
TalRussell 6 hours, 15 minutes ago
Don't you miss his old shoes? -- Aren't you praying, -- Loretta thought have held on to something so important as her late Grandfather's shoes that gave Comrade Milo B. Butler -- The bounce needed on April 27th, 1965 Black Tuesday -- When he as the lion amongst MPs' in the House of Assembly (HOA) -- Wasn't afraid to roar on behalf the colony's disenfranchised popoulaces majority -- As he successfully leaped clear across the HOA floor towards an opened window to threw the UBP Speaker’s mace clear out the window of the UBPs' House of Assembly. -- Yes?
birdiestrachan 6 hours, 10 minutes ago
PINTARD CALLED FOR THIS PROTEST. DID HE HAVE A HUGE CROWD. THE SPEAKER TOLD HIM TO WAIT HIS TURN BUT THE LITTLE RUDE SCHOOL BOYS COULD NOT HELP THEMSELVES SO THEY SHOULD THEIR EMBRASSING .SELVES
birdiestrachan 6 hours, 8 minutes ago
What fool can say he had a right to break that window only a fool will agree with that and there are many
truetruebahamian 1 hour, 2 minutes ago
Idiot
Porcupine 46 minutes ago
birdie, I agree you are an idiot. Go back to grade school.
bcitizen 5 hours, 14 minutes ago
Even if you have a problem with the government. You might as well burn the Bahamian flag if you throw the mace out the window.
Sickened 5 hours ago
Shouldn't it be the PLP's that are getting locked up? The world is upside down.
TalRussell 4 hours, 58 minutes ago
Political what-ifs! -- The timing of Mace toss may just make good sense of who the 'likely suspect' will be the "politician" the premiership may have been on verge of naming. --- But got distracted. -- Considering, no 'politician' has yet, -- been cleared. -- Yes?
yari 4 hours, 45 minutes ago
So was she hit or not? She says both. In any case this whole situation was caused by the speaker and her partisan behaviour.
whatsup 4 hours, 31 minutes ago
I saw the actual video on Instagram....she never even flinched. She did not look fearful of her life to me, I think I heard her say "Get Him" She is making this very dramatic.
moncurcool 9 minutes ago
So true. She didn't budge when it happened.
The Speaker is a liar.
whatsup 4 hours, 25 minutes ago
I wish Politicians would leave God out of their mouths.
birdiestrachan 4 hours, 16 minutes ago
Do the FNMs know what they did is call violence. Breaking glass windows that do not belong to you is a crime. The time for that is passed there was a time when the majority voice was silenced Pintard would have been allowed to speak . When it was his turn he speaks a lot he arise for many points of order. Check this out compare the PLP members to the FNM members in both houses the PLP outshine them for every time intectually sound the PLP are take that to the bank it is worth lots of money
ThisIsOurs 4 hours, 11 minutes ago
I just mentioned the mace toss 2 or 3 days ago in response to Licoln Bain's antics.
My assessment at that time was basically that Bain was no Linding Pindling and is all about drama and youtube content generation.
I do not like what the govt is doing in attempting to silence the opposition, it is distasteful to the extreme. I've also said I want to hear the FNM say that they will allow the opposition to have a voice.
I dont know if this drastic of an action was required but I am happy that the govt side was not able to continue with their undemocratic action. My question is whether going forward we will see the mace out the window at least once every five years...
TalRussell 3 hours, 22 minutes ago
There is no disguise which can hide how -- Shanendon Cartwright -- Rattled the Comrade "Sister" Speaker's -- position of authority. -- Noticed the sudden look that took over the face of the member for Montagu's security minister. -- Might've been the ghost of Milo Butler returning to the floor of the honourable House of Assembly. --Yes?
truetruebahamian 1 hour, 30 minutes ago
They deserve whatever they reap. The plp today is not a credible entity, that’s why I left them because of ping and Christie and changed in favour of the fnm, which I left because of that twit Minnis. Now I will join the fnm once more under a sane leader, Pintard.
Porcupine 43 minutes ago
Speaker Deveaux is a disgrace to this nation. But, I can see why Davis wants her around. Still wondering who this public official is. Something tells me it will get worse, to the point of embarrassing. Jokey Leaders keep on keeping on. Davis should resign before he is indicted. But, maybe that's the point.
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