The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

ON May 10, 2017, many Bahamians forgot party loyalty as they voted for a change in government, a step they felt was needed for the good of the country. A change was in order they thought, and, given various promises made by the new government it was felt that a change would come.

During the ensuing months some disillusionment had set in , but it was argued that “it was early days” and the new group “should be given a chance”.

However, events in Parliament last week have led many to believe that we are being faced with the “same old same old” as it seemed the anticipated change was seriously sidetracked. A week before The Prime Minister was speaking tolerance in his address to the nation and this was followed by the most blatant example of intolerance by utterances made by the House Speaker and the member for MICAL.

Just as his colleagues remained silent or giggled when Leslie Miller made his now infamous speech about women and beatings by their husbands or lovers , the House Speaker’s colleagues acted likewise as he went on a tirade which will forever blight the history of the Bahamian parliament. This continued when the Member for MICAL made her unfortunate remarks concerning wife beating, and her pathetic attempt at an apology did little to stifle the indignation encompassing the community.

It is a pity that the framers of the constitution did not think of an instrument like the Chiltern Hundreds in Britain so that the Speaker and the Honorable Member could make a somewhat dignified exit from the halls of parliament where they so obviously do not belong.

JEANNE THOMPSON

Nassau,

February 12, 2018.