Mitchell: FNM criticism is an attempt to deflect

Monday, April 28, 2014

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell says the FNM’s criticism of his latest diplomatic note to the Malaysian government is another attempt by the party to deflect from their Leader Dr Hubert Minnis’ “insensitive” comments where he likened the government to the lost flight MH 370.

However, responding yesterday, FNM shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs Hubert Chipman said it was no surprise that Mr Mitchell threw a tantrum “like a petulant child stamping his feet in anger at being reprimanded for poor behaviour.”

He said: “Mr Mitchell’s irresponsible use of his position as a means of self-promotion continues unabated as demonstrated by his most recent diatribe against the perfectly legitimate right of the FNM to offer its views on what it perceives to be inappropriate action by Mr Mitchell and by extension the government which portrays our country in a poor light.”

Mr Mitchell told reporters at his constituency office yesterday that the day he takes political and diplomatic advice from Mr Chipman will be when pigs grow wings and fly.

“Again it is not about why I issued a diplomatic note,” he said, “the government took a position and the Prime Minister took a public position with regard to this matter and he stated the government’s position and it was of sufficient concern to the Leader of the country that a statement was made. So the Ministry of Foreign Affairs follows the remit of its principal. That’s how these things work.

“We are in routine contact with countries from time to time. All it did was reassert the position of the country that it was a serious matter as far as we are concerned and that we express our condolences. No more, no less. It has nothing to do with our internal affairs but given the background of the statement just in case out of an abundance of caution the government’s leader said this is of sufficient seriousness for us to make and restate the position and we have done that.

“Now all of this stuff its just tiresome they need to go find another issue really, quite frankly.”

Mr Mitchell said he could not say whether Dr Minnis’ comments in which he said: “This government is more lost than the Malaysian airline the world is looking for,” gained any international traction.

Last Wednesday, Mr Mitchell indicated that a message was sent to the governments of Malaysia, China and the United States in which to indicate that the remarks from Dr Minnis did not in anyway represent a diminution of the seriousness of the loss of the plane and the lives therein. He added that the government, along with the people of the Bahamas, took very seriously the tragedy.

A day later, Mr Chipman minced no words of the diplomatic correspondence saying that it was likely to result in embarrassment for the Bahamas. “The governments receiving these notes will likely find them improper and question why they were sent, embarrassing the Bahamas, the government and especially the Foreign Minister,” he said.

Comments

B_I_D___ says...

Would you all shut up already, you are just making each other looks like bigger idiots than you already are...on both sides of the fence!!

Posted 28 April 2014, 12:49 p.m. Suggest removal

Bahamianpride says...

Go into any Asian restaurant make an insensitive comment and pay your bill, there response is usually f u to, see u tomorrow. U pay U ok, u no pay u no ok.. Asian could care less about this pettiness & chatter. Many times they curse u out u dont even know what they're saying. Lets move on people multiple murders happened this weekend.

Posted 28 April 2014, 1:19 p.m. Suggest removal

Since Mitchell has so much time on his hands to concern himself with b.s. comments & gay matters, I assume in his delusional mind he's doing a great job with illegal immigration, human smuggling, managing detention centers etc. Thank God for government service because pety narrow minded guys like him would not survive in a merit based system.

Posted 28 April 2014, 1:31 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

When will pigs start flying up in SPACE over we Bahamaland? Right after the 2017 General Elections, that’s when. Careful Minister Freddy you must have never before experienced red shirts poop falling from the sky, otherwise you wouldn’t be encouraging these sneaky, manipulating red shirts to have thousands of pigs growing they own wings to be flying all over the damn place. You must know what will happen come 2017, once Her Majesty's Loyal “Government In-Waiting” re assumes power over the people, cause first thing they will do is to return to they old zillion$$ borrowing habits, to award a "grossly under-budgeted" contract to some "foreigner contractor" for the construction of a new project, neatly disguised as a "International Pig port." Comrades no need me be making this stuff up. it really happened before, under the red regime. OK, the cows was Minister Freddy's creative genius.

Posted 28 April 2014, 1:33 p.m. Suggest removal

CANDACESCOTT says...

I'm confuser....

Posted 28 April 2014, 1:53 p.m. Suggest removal

Pig Island is in we history books. If only the reds could get pigs to fly, surefire way to solve the many calls by them cranky as hell reds to finally get rid Minister Freddy. After all they did ask the PM to fire Freddie. The reds even had the support of Preacherman's Myles call to the PM for Freddy to be a ministerial goner. I'll give you better than numbers rackets odds, the reds chairman Daron is on phone to a pig farmer on Pig Island, checking out pig prices. Oh yeah, it's we 701st Island. Ask Chinese intelligence, they knows it's there for real. Hubert I'm sure has some extra land he can loan to his former colleagues to train they red pigs to fly in SPACE.

Posted 28 April 2014, 3:51 p.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

Get a life and make a sensible comment.................... smh

Posted 28 April 2014, 4 p.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

It takes two to tango obviously Mr. Chipman loves to tango. He is all over the place making excuses for his Leader he says.

What Dr. Minnis said was foolish and wrong, the same goes for Mr. Miller. The difference is Mr. Miller said he was sorry. Dr. Minnis refuses to do so, maybe he does not know any better. The Doctor must be hearing the same song his Papa heard "I am better than all the rest.

Posted 28 April 2014, 6:04 p.m. Suggest removal

Minnis could have be used? Talk on the street corners is you should not totally rule out the the possibility the red shirts media consultants may have actually been the ones to have issued the Malaysian vanishing plane statement, under Minnis's name, considering how the struggling ratings CNN has been boosting ratings with every possible theory in and beyond "space."

Posted 28 April 2014, 8:16 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

While Bahamians suffer without jobs, light, food and medical care Jackass PLP and Jackass FNM are talking trash that WE THE PEOPLE could care less about.

GO TO HELL PLP & FNM!

Posted 28 April 2014, 9:23 p.m. Suggest removal

All right Comrade. Have it your own way. Could you just draw us a map, so we don't get lost cause from sounds it, you knows exactly where to go.

Posted 28 April 2014, 10:11 p.m. Suggest removal

GQ says...

Tal: I am convinced that when BRAIN was being issued you thought it said PAIN and you replied, "No I don't want any." You are the personification of STUPID.

Posted 28 April 2014, 10:38 p.m. Suggest removal

Minister Fredericka:
I hate to be paying your salary because you are as petty as three year old children in the school yard. For one minute do you think the Malaysian people know or care who or where the Bahamas is?
Ignorance is bliss and minister you are blissful.

Posted 28 April 2014, 10:41 p.m. Suggest removal

Comrade Go, the real culprit is to be found tucked away in the ignorance of not knowing that far from Malaysians not knowing/caring where Bahamaland is, is not knowing they just happen to be major investment players in we Bahamaland.

Posted 28 April 2014, 11 p.m. Suggest removal

This is all political mud slinging nothing to do with real issues, mindless inbreds fighting about who gets to be in power and robb us next. Tal, i'd be more concerned with people being murdered & arresting tourist for weed, hundreds of robberies, now that's bad for business. 37 murders this year & the recent rape of a 17:year old young lady. Those r things business people care about.. They care about taxes, profitability, safety, liability. Mindless chatter of 2 fools jockeying for power is worthless, we have some serious issues to deal with people are suffering, ain't got time for this... if our politician where really trying to serve the people they would be to busy dealing with issues to take part in this.

Posted 29 April 2014, 6:25 a.m. Suggest removal