The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Chairman Darron Cash yesterday renewed his condemnation of the government’s use of Bahamas Information Services as a means to issue PLP propaganda.

Mr Cash pointed to the recent statement by Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, which alleged that the Free National Movement had bought votes and was distributed by the agency as an another “abuse of power”.

Mr Cash said the PLP was unmatched in its “use of rent-a-crowd tactics” as he defended the integrity of his party against vote-buying claims.

“In the first instance, the transformation of the Bahamas Information Services (BIS) into the propaganda arm of the PLP is an absolute disgrace,” Mr Cash said.

“The hiring of political hacks to lead BIS was the first step. Use of scarce tax-payer dollars to publish propaganda-filled newspaper supplements claiming that the government was ‘on course and moving in the right direction’ was the second major obscenity.

“The third recurring theme of abuse of power is the use of BIS to issue purely political statements by PLP ministers. This weekend’s statement from Elcott Coleby of BIS in the name of Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell is nothing short of political propaganda,” Mr Cash said.

In a statement released over the weekend, Mr Mitchell claimed that persons associated with the FNM tried to buy votes during the last election.

“What all political parties should offer to all Bahamians everywhere and to the people for Fox Hill is respect. They should offer them service and devotion to duty. I do not try to buy their support. I try to work for it. The DNA would be well advised as would the FNM to think again,” Mr Mitchell said.

However, said Mr Cash, it was the PLP that wrote the “college textbook” on the use of money in politics.

“The most high-profile evidence of this PLP tactic was the 2011 BTC demonstrations wherein violent thugs (reportedly) confessed openly that they were to be paid by the PLP to show up on Bay St to protest against the FNM,” he said.

Mr Cash said: “The FNM categorically denies and rejects the suggestion that our party paid anyone for any kind of support or to transfer support in the last general election or any other election for that matter.”

Mr Mitchell also claimed last week that the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) had paid people $25 to protest in Rawson Square.

DNA Leader Branville McCartney has said he is “unaware” of anyone in his party paying protesters and urged the minister to refocus his priorities on immigration matters.

In his statement, Mr Mitchell said he was prompted to investigate the demonstration after he watched footage that showed some Fox Hill residents among the demonstrators. The Fox Hill MP said the residents were not members of the DNA.

Yesterday, Mr Cash said he was informed that the video referred to by Mr Mitchell was taken by the government’s intelligence agency.

He questioned why the actions of citizens exercising their right to protest were recorded and passed on to government ministers.

“The issuance of a statement from a government minister and the involvement of BIS suggest that the close monitoring of this fringe opposition party is an official action by the government,” Mr Cash said.

“The FNM cannot think of a single legitimate reason why the government of the Bahamas would need to have the actions of a fringe political party watched so closely. The Christie government’s actions come at the same time when foreign governments halfway around the globe are cracking down on peaceful anti-government protests. We are left to wonder if the level of political intrusion exacted on (me) will be repeated with the DNA?”