Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller said yesterday that if his parliamentary colleagues, including Prime Minister Perry Christie, are not prepared to push for capital punishment they should "leave Parliament and get lost".
Miller, a long-time advocate of capital punishment, called into Guardian Radio 96.9 FM's Darold Miller Live and said the shooting in Fox Hill on Friday night that left four people dead and another seven injured deeply saddened him.
The incident prompted the government to have an emergency Cabinet meeting yesterday to focus on how to "strengthen and escalate the war on crime".
Miller said he hoped the Cabinet meeting would bring about some constructive solutions to defeat the criminal elements because there is an "all-out war against the Bahamian people".
"It is either us or them and I think the Parliament of this country needs to make up its mind," said Miller, who was referring to capital punishment.
"The Cabinet has to make up its mind. If you are not prepared to implement the laws of the country then leave, leave Parliament and get lost."
When asked by show host Darold Miller why the MP was not a part of Cabinet, Miller responded, "As long as there is breath in my body sir, I will never do it again."
Noting that Bahamians are being "slaughtered" in their own country, Miller said he wants MPs to do their job and stop making excuses.
"I don't want to hear anything about the European Union," he said.
"I don't want to hear about anyone else in the world because no one is facing what we are facing as a people.
"We have a responsibility to our people to do what is right on their behalf. I do not want to hear about anything else.
"These stupid excuses about the Privy Council. I don't give a damn what they say.
"This is my country called The Bahamas. We have an obligation to take care and safeguard the lives of our people.
"I will say that as soon as Parliament resumes. You either do the right thing or get out of Parliament; all of them, from the prime minister down.
"If you don't want to do the right thing, leave. Give it to someone else to do. You either put up or you shut up."
The emergency Cabinet meeting, which lasted well over six hours, included Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade.
In a press conference following that meeting, Prime Minister Christie told reporters the government will escalate saturation patrols; increase the resources available to police and enact stiffer penalties for illegal firearm use and witness intimidation, among other things.
There was no mention of capital punishment.
The last time capital punishment was carried out in The Bahamas was on January 6, 2000 when David Mitchell was hanged.

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