Unconfirmed reports reaching The Tribune allege that Prime Minister Perry Christie met with Kenyatta Gibson and Keod Smith on separate occasions at his home and asked for their resignations.
It was further claimed that one agreed to the possibility of resigning, while the other didn’t.
However, although these reports persisted over the weekend, none of them could be confirmed as The Tribune was unable to contact Mr Christie, Mr Gibson or Mr Smith.
Many close to the situation believe that resignations would be the best course of action for Prime Minister Christie to limit the political fall out – as the next general election is, just “around the corner.”
However, in spite of these reports, Mr Gibson and Mr Smith appeared yesterday on Love 97 in an attempt to quiet the public’s angry reaction to their physical fight last Monday in the Cabinet room. On the show they presented a united front.
On the pre-recorded show, both MPs voiced their affection and mutual respect for each other.
“We are united as we have ever been – even stronger. There will be those who would try and drive a wedge between that friendship because of what people believe, think, saw, or heard as the case may be. But
that never will be,” Mr Smith said.
Both continued along these lines, downplaying the brawl that Mr Gibson in a public apology on Friday admitted had “declined to an unacceptable and undignified level.”
In fact they painstakingly avoided any reference to or attempt to explain what exactly happened on the night of September 25 in the Cabinet room – despite the extensive media coverage of the incident. In his apology on Friday Mr Gibson said he felt that while there had been much public attention to that night’s events, they had been “sensationalised and overstated.”
When questioned by host Wendell Jones about his apology, Mr Gibson said he was deeply saddened that “human frailty” led to behaviour that he deeply regretted.
Mr Jones: “You slapped Keod Smith?”
Mr Gibson: “No, sir. No, sir. No, sir. No sir. No, sir. Not Kenyatta Gibson.”
Mr Jones: “We have to speak truth on this programme gentlemen.”
Mr Gibson: “Not Kenyatta Gibson.”
Mr Smith: “Mr Gibson has made it very plain and very – clear what he didn’t do. Even in a court of law once you offer an answer, the answer is the answer.”
The “interview” remained along these cautious lines with minimal description of the, fight itself. Even when asked if he thought the incident could affect his political career, Mr Gibson said that he hasn’t even considered this.
“I am more concerned now, with the fact that we have a situation and it has to be dealt with. In life a teacher of mine used to say there are no punishments or rewards, there are just consequences. So you suffer or you enjoy the consequences of your actions. I have not even considered that particular point as yet. I am too busy trying to make sure that a proper representation of what I think occurred is delivered,” he said.
When asked about who started the fight, both men laughed the question off.
“Ah, Wendell you are something else. Ah, goodness,” Mr Gibson said.
“I don’t think it matters,” Mr Smith started, “it truly doesn’t matter. Who was, or who started, or whose comment led to any disagreement that we had. What is more important at this point is that my friend and I are here, and for your listeners that cannot see us, we are shaking hands. The reality is he is my friend, he will still be my friend, and he will always be my friend,” he said.
Although saying that honesty is one of the most important virtues that a representative should have, both MPs said that they were unaware of anything being broken in their altercation in the Cabinet Room despite reports to the contrary.
Speaking to persons who were in the room after the event, The Tribune was told that the glass on the mahogany table around which the parliamentarians sat the next day was obviously broken.
“Truly I am not aware of any table being broken. I am not aware of anything being broken. If it is that something has been broken, and especially if it was done by any of the two of us, “I have not been told that by anyone,” Mr Smith said.
By PAUL TURNQUEST Tribune Staff Reporter
