Dear Editor,
House Speaker Dr. Kendal Major (Garden Hills) was one of the few rookie politicians of the so-called new generation of Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) leaders I had high aspirations for.
I thought he would have been fair and impartial towards the seven Free National Movement (FNM) parliamentarians, not counting Edison Key, the pseudo-FNM MP for Central and South Abaco. The small group of FNM MPs are like a small flock of sheep among wolves. Major named and suspended FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis for two House sittings after the latter refused to comply with the speaker's demands for him to withdraw a statement he made about Prime Minister Perry Christie and alleged PLP benefactor Peter Nygard. And this despite the controversial comment by Minnis already being expunged from House records. .
I saw Major in the August 14 edition of The Nassau Guardian defending his decision to suspend the FNM leader. Coincidentally, in that very same publication, one Dion Bowe was in the featured article defending himself against a murder accusation which was leveled against him in the House of Assembly on August 12 by Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller. To the best of my knowledge Major never asked Miller to either withdraw his statement concerning Bowe or to cease mentioning the sensitive matter, as the accused was not there to defend himself. Miller took full advantage of the parliamentary immunity in naming this private citizen as the man responsible for the demise of his son.
The question many Bahamians are now asking is this: Which accusation was more egregious? The one made by Minnis, or the one made by Miller? The mere fact that Miller was not reprimanded by the speaker of the House tells me what his views are on the matter. Minnis said something that was already out there in the public domain by way of the major news publications, and he is suspended and humiliated by a retinue of police officers. Miller makes an astounding claim concerning a heinous crime and nothing happens to him.
Despite my better judgment, I am still willing to give Major the benefit of the doubt. I badly want to believe that he is well read on the ins and outs of Parliament and the procedures of that political institution. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he is adept and proficient in his role as House speaker despite the fact that many FNMs, and even a few PLPs, are alleging that he is not qualified for the post. I have reason to believe that Major is way too biased and condescending towards FNM MPs based on his shoddy treatment of them during his first 16 months in this important role. Rather than talking to them during House sittings, he has a penchant to talk at them as if they are dumb overgrown adolescents in short school pants. He has to be seen as leaning heavily towards the PLP. Be that as it may, FNMs have lost confidence in Major to function in his role as speaker in a fair and impartial manner.
- Kevin Evans
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