PLP Deputy accused of 'Internet lies'
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net:
CULTURE Minister Charles Maynard yesterday accused Opposition Deputy Leader Philip "Brave" Davis of hiring Internet bloggers to post "scandalous lies" that link him to alleged corruption and extra-marital affairs.
Mr Davis strongly denied the allegations when contacted by The Tribune yesterday morning and said he had no idea who is behind the website in question. He added that he had no time for - and did not condone - smear campaigns or personal attacks on fellow politicians.
The post in question, published on Monday, lashed out at Mr Maynard for criticisms made on a talk show earlier this week - and also in the House of Assembly last month - alleging that criminal defense attorneys and Mr Davis specifically who "profited" from and "manipulated" the slow-moving legal system.
According to Mr Maynard, every time he publicly criticises Mr Davis a scathing story about him appears on the website, making it "obvious" to him who is driving the rumours.
"I know as a fact that Brave Davis is behind it, that the person who does this works directly for him." Mr Davis emphatically denied the accusation.
"I don't think that it's fair for me to say something in the House - generally speaking and also directed to him in terms of how I felt about what he would have done earlier in his law practice - and his way of dealing with it is to have these scandalous things on blogs.
"It was so obvious in this latest attack, yesterday I appeared on a talk show and said something about him and they allude to that (in the blog) and it makes it obvious. It's immature (and) does nothing to forward the political system," Mr Maynard said.
Mr Davis, on the other hand, said he had no part in the disparaging remarks made against the minister adding that he cannot control the thoughts and actions of persons who may support him.
"That's unfortunate if he thinks every time he talks negatively about me he is negatively attacked - then he ought to consider whether he should be negatively attacking me. If he is attacking me and he finds himself being attacked, just as he has supporters out there I have supporters too. I have no interest in nor will I condone negative attacks on anyone. I have no interest in running any negative campaign - we have too many challenges in our country," the PLP Member of Parliament for Cat Island and Rum Cay said when asked about the allegations.
He continued:" "I don't need anyone to respond for me...But I am heartened to know that people feel sufficiently warm about me to come to my defence if they feel I am unduly attacked. Of course I am not going to sit by idly and allow people to attack (others)."
When asked directly if the website is run by PLP operatives, Mr Davis said: "I wouldn't say that's the case." He told The Tribune that the comments posted were "crossing the line."
Among other things, the post also alleges that the minister engaged in extra-marital affairs while on official duty at the World Cup match in South Africa and benefited from alleged criminal proceeds passed down to him by his father, Andrew "Dud" Maynard, a former PLP chairman.
Mr Maynard said his father, a veteran politician, can handle the aspersions but they take a harder toll on his wife.
"From my father's point of view he's been in politics all his life and knows it gets dirty. My wife is new to politics and not very happy about it - to me it's a new low.
"It goes out into the public domain, despite the fact that it's lies, it's still something that nobody would like to be said about them."
Still it doesn't appear that Mr Maynard plans to sue the handlers of the website for defamation.
He explained that Bahamian law has not caught up with the influence of the world wide web.
He said he hopes the Ingraham administration can advance some sort of legislative reform to address these matters, particularly before the next general election when campaigns on both sides of the party divide will heat up.
July 07, 2010
tribune242
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.
Showing posts with label PLP operatives Bahamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PLP operatives Bahamas. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Ex-Progressive Liberal Party vice-chairman Melissa Sears is the focus of repeated attacks by PLPs on the Internet and in the political sphere
PLP 'bid to smear ex-chief'
By PAUL G TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net:
PLP operatives are allegedly continuing a vicious smear campaign against one of their own colleagues, The Tribune has uncovered.
Having recently resigned from her post as vice-chairman in the Progressive Liberal Party, Melissa Sears has become the focus of repeated attacks by PLPs on the Internet and in the political sphere.
In their messages, some party supporters have sought to sully the former vice-chairman's reputation and have gone as far as to cast a cloud of suspicion over her friendship with a sitting FNM Cabinet Minister.
Yesterday, a source close to Ms Sears actually distanced himself from the party's official messaging on the issue, claiming he did not want his planned statement on the matter to be associated with what "the rest of the party" was seeking to do.
Ms Sears, he said, will make any statement she feels is necessary if and when the time comes.
In the meantime, however, the vice-chairwoman's resignation is continuing to be used as a political football among two of the most prominent warring camps within the party.
The attacks against Ms Sears has left some within the organisation to question the amount of damage this issue will ultimately inflict upon the party.
It has also left others calling for a shift in the messaging of the PLP and a "much needed change" in the way "sensitive matters are handled."
As it relates to the attacks on Ms Sears' name The Tribune was reliably informed that a current PLP Member of Parliament was the actual genesis of those reports.
In fact, we were made aware yesterday that an operative within the party was successful in transmitting a lurid text message to the Cabinet Minister's cellular phone seeking to disguise the message as a legitimate one from the former vice-chairwoman.
This message, it was said, would then have been posted online to embarrass Ms Sears and the Minister; destroying any possibility for the fledgling politician to ever return at any level of influence in the PLP.
It is understood that this message, has been forwarded to the relevant authorities to ascertain its origin for further investigations.
These attacks, along with others, have left some right-thinking PLPs disgusted with the way the party has handled the resignation of Ms Sears.
Instead of seeking to coax the party supporter into re-thinking her decision, it was said that some within the organisation immediately went on the offensive and tried to "ruin her politically."
Speaking with The Tribune yesterday, Erin Ferguson, the political commentator and TV show host said that having known Ms Sears for a few years as a native Grand Bahamian himself, he was disappointed in the way the party was handling this "great young talent."
"This is just another example of the PLP displaying their ability to misuse and mishandle excellent young talent in the Bahamas.
"Melissa Sears has shown she is grounded in family, church, and community, and she is certainly a woman that serves as an example to any young woman as to how to go about serving your country as a good citizen. It's unfortunate in my opinion that she has been put through the political wringer of the PLP," he said.
Mr Ferguson added that countless other young people have been put through this unfortunate process and many others have refused to even engage these political parties as it is an "absolute waste of time."
April 29, 2010
tribune242
By PAUL G TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net:
PLP operatives are allegedly continuing a vicious smear campaign against one of their own colleagues, The Tribune has uncovered.
Having recently resigned from her post as vice-chairman in the Progressive Liberal Party, Melissa Sears has become the focus of repeated attacks by PLPs on the Internet and in the political sphere.
In their messages, some party supporters have sought to sully the former vice-chairman's reputation and have gone as far as to cast a cloud of suspicion over her friendship with a sitting FNM Cabinet Minister.
Yesterday, a source close to Ms Sears actually distanced himself from the party's official messaging on the issue, claiming he did not want his planned statement on the matter to be associated with what "the rest of the party" was seeking to do.
Ms Sears, he said, will make any statement she feels is necessary if and when the time comes.
In the meantime, however, the vice-chairwoman's resignation is continuing to be used as a political football among two of the most prominent warring camps within the party.
The attacks against Ms Sears has left some within the organisation to question the amount of damage this issue will ultimately inflict upon the party.
It has also left others calling for a shift in the messaging of the PLP and a "much needed change" in the way "sensitive matters are handled."
As it relates to the attacks on Ms Sears' name The Tribune was reliably informed that a current PLP Member of Parliament was the actual genesis of those reports.
In fact, we were made aware yesterday that an operative within the party was successful in transmitting a lurid text message to the Cabinet Minister's cellular phone seeking to disguise the message as a legitimate one from the former vice-chairwoman.
This message, it was said, would then have been posted online to embarrass Ms Sears and the Minister; destroying any possibility for the fledgling politician to ever return at any level of influence in the PLP.
It is understood that this message, has been forwarded to the relevant authorities to ascertain its origin for further investigations.
These attacks, along with others, have left some right-thinking PLPs disgusted with the way the party has handled the resignation of Ms Sears.
Instead of seeking to coax the party supporter into re-thinking her decision, it was said that some within the organisation immediately went on the offensive and tried to "ruin her politically."
Speaking with The Tribune yesterday, Erin Ferguson, the political commentator and TV show host said that having known Ms Sears for a few years as a native Grand Bahamian himself, he was disappointed in the way the party was handling this "great young talent."
"This is just another example of the PLP displaying their ability to misuse and mishandle excellent young talent in the Bahamas.
"Melissa Sears has shown she is grounded in family, church, and community, and she is certainly a woman that serves as an example to any young woman as to how to go about serving your country as a good citizen. It's unfortunate in my opinion that she has been put through the political wringer of the PLP," he said.
Mr Ferguson added that countless other young people have been put through this unfortunate process and many others have refused to even engage these political parties as it is an "absolute waste of time."
April 29, 2010
tribune242
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