Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Fred Mitchell yesterday appealed for justice and fairness for all, including members of Parliament, and said it is wrong to assail the reputation of someone based on untested allegations.

Mitchell did not name any specific matter or person, but his comments in a voice note that was circulated came amid ongoing public discussion regarding certain allegations a woman, who has not been identified publicly, made against a sitting MP.

"When I started out on the latest iteration of my political journey, following my loss of office in 2017, I determined more than ever that I was likely nearing the end of a political journey as opposed to the start and things like fairness, directness, the truth, were important, more important than ever," Mitchell said.

"It is clear now, and it was clear then, that political choices by voters in the public on Election Day are not determined by any of those things, fairness, directness and truth.

"It is simply a snapshot of how electors feel on the day they go to the polls and all the work you may have done or may not have done mean nothing if on that day a voter is simply pissed off by something that may have nothing to do with you, so at the end of the day — as I advised all colleagues in the public service module they took before becoming candidates for the PLP — this politics is a brutal business and when there is trouble, you often have to stand alone. But one of the reasons all candidates were made to go through the module was to learn to be tough, to stand on your own two feet and to be able to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, often by yourself."

Mitchell continued, "This has to be done, even when there's a swirl of pubic statements that are being made that are one-sided, prejudicial, salacious, untested accusations from unnamed individuals. You must first be strong, you must first believe in yourself and, if you're innocent, stand up for your integrity.

"The death of The Punch obviously left a vacuum for salacious gossip which works often to the disadvantage of the innocent in this society.

"PLP supporters and people of goodwill must resist the temptation in this current atmosphere to be manipulated into a rush to judgment on salacious matters.

"When you become a member of Parliament, you do not lose your right to a reputation, to fair play, to justice, to privacy and the right to be heard.

"That is why there are legal prohibitions in sexual cases about calling the names of those who are minors, who are accusers and sometimes accused because words said cannot be taken back, and once out there, ruin the reputations of sometimes innocent people. But we in the society, including the press, are often quick to jump to conclusions, run away with one side of the story, don't have the other side of the story and often people get bamboozled into saying and doing nonsense by the avaricious appetite of an unethical press."

The chairman said "in this current matter of sexual allegations", the party has asked all to await the results of an ongoing investigation into the matter.

Police have said they are investigating the woman's claims.

Mitchell said there is a "madness" in social media and "some public officials seem determined to ruin reputations as opposed to dealing with fairness and justice and truth".

"This is wrong," he said. "I say again, this is wrong."

The post Mitchell appeals for justice, fairness for all, including MPs appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

The post Mitchell appeals for justice, fairness for all, including MPs appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

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