By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller had been absent both physically and “mentally” from the constituency long before he resigned from the Free National Movement, according to area association chairman, Brian Brown.

So it came as no surprise to him last week when the now-independent representative left the governing party to join the likes of Centreville MP Reece Chipman as the second parliamentarian to leave the FNM this year.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Brown said constituents had been left disappointed in the “downhill” trajectory of Mr Miller’s representation, having fully supported him in the lead up to the May 2017 general election.

It is now apparent, he said, the party needs to do a better job at selecting future candidates.

“It was not a surprise,” Mr Brown said of the resignation last week. “Mr Miller has been gone mentally from since he got fired (as parliamentary secretary) in 2018, so that’s not a surprise. After the firing for him voting against the VAT, things went downhill and that was it.”

In 2018, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis fired the MP along with Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson from their posts as parliamentary secretaries because the men broke ranks from the party and voted against increasing value added tax from 7.5 percent to 12 percent.

Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine was also dismissed from his post as chairman of the Hotel Corporation for voting against the VAT increase.

Mr Brown said constituents had complained of not seeing the MP in the area, adding he had also failed to work along with the association to implement meaningful initiatives.

With failed representation now behind them, Mr Brown said the association is looking at several candidates who may be suitable to represent Golden Isles.

“I am going to tell you that as the chairman, Golden Isles is always on top. The executives have met already and planned the way forward. We’re going to do the Christmas holiday and in January 2020 we are going to resume our getting ready for the next election.

“We are going to make sure that the residents in Golden Isles have good representation from the Free National Movement.”

Asked whether this meant the party needed to do a better job at candidate selection, he said: “Definitely, definitely without a shadow of a doubt.

“It will not be as easy as the previous time before. We will make sure to do a much better vetting of the candidates.

“You must be a member of the association, know how the association is ran and be well versed with the national party because most of them don’t know how the association runs and how the party runs. They don’t have any idea and so we are going to have to have it done.”

Mr Miller declined comment yesterday, saying he would speak at a later date.

After frequent critiques of the Minnis administration’s decisions, Mr Miller announced his departure before a confidence motion in the prime minister passed in the House of Assembly last week.

“Two cannot walk together except they be agreed,” he said at the time. “Our differences are irreconcilable. The FNM will not repent, and I shall not recant. Therefore, I am requesting as of the next sitting of the House of Assembly, I am seated among the independents.”

In resigning, Mr Miller backed opposition leader Philip “Brave” Davis’ view of the circumstances surrounding the lease of the Town Centre Mall to house the General Post Office. Mr Davis has argued the Minnis administration misled Parliament when it tabled and passed a resolution last year that said St Anne’s MP Brent Symonette was not involved in discussions and negotiations over renting the mall when he was minister of immigration and financial services.

Mr Miller voted against that resolution last year, drawing the ire of FNMs everywhere, he said.

Signs of Mr Miller’s discontent with his party first appeared in March, 2018 during the mid-year budget debate. He said at the time that there appeared to be a disconnect between the Minnis administration and Bahamians.

Last week he said being a political martyr––“one who suffers political death for standing up for righteousness”––is the greatest honour he could receive.