Despite the public uproar over the fist fight between two MPs, Prime Minister Perry Christie said too much has been made of the incident.
Judging by calls made to Mike Smith's Love 97FM talk show on Tuesday, members of the public are shocked and outraged at the behaviour of Mount Moriah MP Keod Smith and Kennedy MP Kenyatta Gibson in the Cabinet Room.
Callers suggested that Mr Christie should "step in" and discipline the two ministers while others went so far as to suggest they should be "expelled" from office.
While the issue was not a partisan one, according to suggestions on the talk show, it was about standards to which leaders should be held.
Yesterday, however, Mr Christie appeared not to be too flustered about the event.
Speaking on Love 97FM's 1:00pm news programme, he sought to downplay the issue, telling the show's host that he believed the fight was "more apparent than real."
"I believe that most of these things are accentuated by rumour and talk." he said.
"I did hear about some disagreement being expressed, but I did not hear about the fisticuffs that I see in the newspaper," he said.
According to Mr Christie, he and the implicated MPs have met and "laughed together" at the media's coverage of the incident. Joking, the PM said that he did not see "any bruises or bite marks" on the men.
Some callers to Mike Smith's talk show, on the other hand, said the fight was indicative of an "endemic disrespect" within the PLP. One caller said the reported fisticuffs between the two ministers had cost the party his vote.
John Pinder, president of the Bahamas Public Services Union, said: "People must lead by example."
Meanwhile, another caller claimed the fact the fight broke out was evidence of the prime minister's light-handedness in dealing with previous matters of misconduct.
Both men were present to represent their constituencies at the opening of the House of Assembly yesterday. Reports indicate that neither appeared to have suffered serious injuries.
By ALISON LOWE, The Tribune
