BY STAFF WRITER ~ Guardian News Desk:
The back and forth between both major political parties in the country regarding the recent resignation of Elizabeth MP Malcolm Adderley from Parliament and the Progressive Liberal Party continued yesterday, with Free National Movement chairman Carl Bethel rejecting the suggestion by the opposition that the government manipulated the constitution to facilitate Adderley's expected appointment as a Supreme Court justice.
"We understand why [PLP Leader Perry] Christie and [PLP chairman Bradley] Roberts are in a state of panic," Bethel said in a statement sent out yesterday evening. "This is the second member of Parliament they are losing since the last election and the whole country knows that the PLP is fractured and in a state of chaos.
"So that is why they are making extreme and desperate statements and seeking to place the blame on others for the state in which they find themselves. And of course, it is easy to blame Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham for their political woes. But the truth is that Mr. Ingraham is in no way responsible for the state of affairs in which the PLP leaders find themselves, and their allegation of constitutional manipulation is utter nonsense."
Bethel claimed that "the facts of the matter are very simple and easy to understand."
"In the first place, it has been public knowledge ever since the general election in 2007 that Mr. Adderley was no longer happy with the PLP and the leadership of Mr. Christie, for whatever reasons. Secondly, it has also been public knowledge that Mr. Adderley was interested in serving his country on the Supreme Court, having acted in that capacity previously," Bethel said.
"So it should surprise no one that upon his resignation from the House he may still be interested in becoming a judge. No one -- not even Mr. Christie and Mr. Roberts -- has challenged his qualifications."
Bethel also called the PLP's talk of politicizing the courts "rubbish".
"It is the policy of the FNM government and, we believe, of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, to find qualified judges to serve in our high courts regardless of political affiliations," said Bethel. "That is why the Commission recommended the appointment of Mrs. Rubie Nottage to serve as a justice, presumably with no objections from Mr. Ingraham. There was public unease about that appointment not because she was PLP-affiliated but because of an alleged problem with the American government.
"Both former Chief Justice (Sir) Burton Hall and (Senior) Justice Jon Isaacs are known to have strong PLP family connections, and Justice Neville Adderley ran in elections twice on the PLP ticket before becoming a judge. And there were others with political backgrounds who have sat on the Supreme Court."
Bethel added: "The FNM did not object to any of them because they are qualified Bahamians. The PLP should try to be just as gracious when it comes to judges who may have had a connection with the FNM. After all, they are Bahamians too."
January 06, 2010
thenassauguardian
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.