The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE 

Tribune Chief Reporter 

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement (FNM) leader Michael Pintard accused the Davis administration of trying to silence the opposition after he and five other opposition members were suspended from the House of Assembly for two sittings following last week’s chaotic scenes in the chamber.

Leader of Government Business and National Security Minister Wayne Munroe moved to suspend Mr Pintard, deputy FNM leader Shanendon Cartwright, Kwasi Thompson, Adrian White, Adrian Gibson, and Iram Lewis after House Speaker Patricia Deveaux condemned the opposition’s “disrepectful” behaviour last week.

The suspension came after St Barnabas MP Cartwright threw the mace out of a window last Wednesday in frustration over the Speaker’s failure to clarify whether Mr Pintard would be allowed to address explosive allegations in a US federal indictment.

Speaker Deveaux defended her actions, saying that Mr Pintard had breached House rules the week before by improperly submitting a letter requesting to address a matter of national importance. She said during those earlier proceedings, Mr Pintard was not out of “context,” but had failed to provide the required copy of the requested statement, which she needed to issue a proper ruling.

Speaker Deveaux described last Wednesday’s uproar, in which opposition MPs were forcibly removed from the House, as an unprecedented and deeply troubling breach of the decorum and respect required in House proceedings.

“We cannot in one breath be lawmakers, and then in the very same breath become law breakers,” she said. “What message are we sending to our children and the public at large?”

She said the opposition’s actions were disgraceful and a blatant disrespect for the chair’s authority.

She said there was no logical excuse for what happened and promised it would be the last time someone throws the mace out while she is Speaker.

“Such actions not only violate the rules of this assembly, but it also erodes the trust and confidence the public places in us as their elected representatives,” she said.

She referred the matter to Mr Munroe for further determination and recommended it be sent to the Committee of Privileges for a thorough investigation and appropriate action.

“The sanctity of this House must be preserved,” she said. “let this incident serve as a reminder of our collective responsibility to uphold the dignity, integrity and authority of this institution.”

As Mrs Deveaux admonished members that disrespect would not be tolerated, FNM members showed little reaction.

Mr Pintard wrote in a book during most of her speech while Mr Cartwright was on his telephone.

Mr White sat straight-faced, staring ahead.

Killarney MP Dr Hubert Minnis, the only FNM MP not suspended, walked out just before the others were suspended.

Outside, a group of Progressive liberal Party supporters stood in solidarity, expressing support for the prime minister.

FNM MPs were warned about their impending suspension on Tuesday night.

Mr Pintard called it an attempt to silence them but pledged to continue fighting and speaking up on behalf of the Bahamian people.

“We will go to government ministries,” he said. “We will be back on Bay Street. We will send letters to the editor. We will be on talk shows again, putting pressure on an administration that does not want openness, transparency and honesty with the Bahamian people.”

When asked if Dr Minnis supported the opposition’s actions, Mr Pintard urged reporters to direct the question to Dr Minnis.

Meanwhile, Mr Munroe said the opposition was responsible for their punishment.

He accused them of trying to create their own rules and have their way, calling this a stark contrast to the conduct of Progressive liberal Party (PlP) members who accepted their suspensions when they were in opposition.

“That’s not the way the system works,” he said. “The system works that the Speaker is in charge. You respect the rulings of the Speaker. The public has seen this before. last administration, members of my party were named and put out of the House.”