(Disgraced) Prime Minister Perry Christie’s credibility has been dealt a grievous, “if not fatal blow,” by his own failed attempts to downplay the raucous brawl between two of his MPs, the FNM said yesterday.
According to the party the only thing the PLP has given the pubic on serious issues, such as this one, is nothing more than “song and dance.” “There was a fight in the Cabinet Room last Monday between two PLP parliamentarians who also happen to hold important appointive posts in the government,” a statement on the party’s website read. “Both are also officers of the Bahamian law courts.
“It was a disgraceful episode and news of it was all over the country – from Abaco to Inagua – in short order. There was a Cabinet meeting in that same room the following day – Tuesday. But, lo and behold! Wednesday morning Prime Minister Christie had not heard about it! Or so he said.
“He did hear about some disagreements being expressed,” but nothing about fisticuffs! He said that he had even laughed about it with the two MPs concerned and expected the public to believe that they did not tell him they had had a fist fight!”
However, the party firmly outlined that this is in fact “no laughing matter.”
“People will forgive their favourite politicians a lot of things. But the one thing they will not forgive is when a politician takes them for fools. And that is exactly what Mr Christie did when he tried to cover up this incident.
“In the process Mr Christie, who has so prided himself on his integrity and honesty, did grievous – if not fatal – injury to his credibility. Nobody believes he did not know, and, even if he did not see any cuts and bruises he must have noticed that one of his MPs couldn’t use his right arm! And, he must have seen evidence of an altercation in the Cabinet Room.”
However, the party says that in spite of these flimsy shows of camaraderie, it is all simply a clumsy and “frankly, foolish attempt at covering up” the whole fiasco.
“Mr Christie should now change his dance step from the Christie Shuffle to the Electric Slide because that is what he and his colleagues are doing. Everything is allowed jump to slide. The two PLP MPs who were engaged in that brawl in the Cabinet Room last Monday probably took their cue from Prime Minister Christie and tried to cover up the whole thing.
“What a spectacle they made of themselves, making a show of walking about in public as if nothing had happened; then sitting together in the House of Assembly all chummy chummy.”
The FNM claims that a full confession and apology from Mr Smith, and Mr Gibson should have been made immediately to the Bahamian people. However, it was not until Friday that one of them, Mr Gibson issued a statement expressing his “unconditional” remorse and regret.
“Trouble is that his ‘unreserved’ apology and ‘unconditional’ regret was not quite unreserved and unconditional. He did say that ‘these events declined to an unacceptable and undignified level.’
But in the same breath he said that those events ‘have been sensationalized, overstated.’
“When two MPs get into a fist fight in the Cabinet Room, or anywhere else, that is already sensational news and does not have to be sensationalized. If the whole thing has been overstated, perhaps the two MPs should now give the public a word-by-word and blow-by-blow description so the public can judge whether the media have overstated those events,” the party said.
By: PAUL TURNQUEST Tribune Staff Reporter
