FRED MITCHELL MP FOX HILL
...On Prime Minister's Response to his remarks

6th January 2008

The responses of the Prime Minister to my assertions are improper and not ones expected of someone in high office.  The remarks made by me with regard to his stepping down from office and the attempts of his government to smear the PLP were not ill considered and without evidence.  Mine was a serious intervention. It is a sure sign when someone is losing an argument that they have to resort to being insulting.

The facts upon which my comments are based are irrefutable and verifiable:

• Mr. Ingraham came to office criticizing former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling for staying beyond two terms in office.
• Mr. Ingraham promised that he would not stay beyond two terms.
• He is now into his third term with no signs of leaving.
• I simply asked him to adhere to his promise and leave.
• All around the world there are other examples of leaders who did not know when it is time to go: Robert Mugabe, Hugo Chavez.  All want to hold on to power.  Mr. Ingraham must not shame his legacy by falling into that category.
• Right now, Mr. Ingraham having come back to office for a third time, is presiding over an economy that is now facing serious problems.  It appears that his government is unable to determine what to do to correct its problems.  He ought to give others a chance to fix the problems.

With regard to my comments about the use of agencies of the state to sully the name and reputation of the PLP, the facts are equally clear and irrefutable.  Since coming to office:

• Advice by the Opposition with regard to appointments to public offices that should have bipartisan support has been ignored.
• Public Servants perceived to be PLPs have been dismissed.  The latest group was the whole upper echelon of one of the Departments was cleaned out with one swipe of the pen.
• The Minister of National Security in an interview with the Bahama Journal appears now to have confirmed investigations into public figures over the coming year.  So far all the evidence on this matter shows that this is again targeted at PLPs in the public service and on the political front line.
• The Urban Renewal programme was systematically dismantled and destroyed and then recreated as Neighbourhood Policing.  The evidence there was that while they could not accept that the PLP's programme was good one, the FNM needed to rebrand the programme to call it their own.
• Building contractors, road contractors, engineers and other professionals who were associated with the last PLP administration have had their contracts stopped, reviewed and cancelled.  The evidence of this has been confirmed by the latest Standard and Poors report on The Bahamas.
• Some PLP constituencies suffer neglect of their infrastructure it appears because of who their representatives are.

Any responsible Opposition politician has to put the nation on inquiry and call the government to account.  There should be an equally serious response.

It is most unfortunate that instead of accounting to the nation, Mr. Ingraham’s response is to seek to be insulting.  I am unmoved by insults.  Both my parents taught me “good manners will take you around the word.  Bad manners will only bring you grief.”