FNM chairman accuses PLP counterpart of inciting violence against the PM

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

THE chairman of the Free National Movement has accused his counterpart in the Progressive Liberal Party of inciting violence against Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

In a circulated voice note, PLP chairman and Senator Fred Mitchell said the populace could not wait to get rid of Dr Minnis by way of the ballot box. But the voice note also warned: “Don’t push this population too far before we see what happened in Barbados, in St Vincent and Antigua happen here in The Bahamas.”

FNM chairman Carl Culmer took exception to the contents of the voice note and attributed them to inciting violence.

“Fred continues every day to make statements that are divisive, racial in meaning and they also incite violence,” said Mr Culmer. “I am amazed, but not surprised, that Fred Mitchell will send out a voice note saying that the PM needs to be careful before something happens to him or happens in the country like what happened to the Prime Minister of Grenadines and other Caribbean leaders.

“He is inciting Bahamians to pick up and do harm to anyone who speaks out against the PLP. When you have persons inciting injury against our leadership, this is wrong. This is the kind of thing that Fred is used to. He has been doing it from he was in high school. He is a parasite on the Bahamian people. He has never had a real job and he has lived off the Bahamian people all these years and he continues to do so,” Mr Culmer claimed.

“He has missed the life of jetting through the world on Bahamian people … building up frequent flyer mileage, living high off the hog. It’s time for him to go off the scene and stay off the scene. We don’t need that type of leadership in the country today. We need persons to encourage others, whether they are black or white.”

The FNM chairman also accused Senator Mitchell of continuously making divisive, racist remarks.

Earlier this week, Mr Mitchell accused the Minnis administration of trying to take credit for the Christie administration’s plan to replace the Queen’s image with Arthur Hanna on the $100 bill. He also said the FNM should replace Sir Stafford Sands with Doris Johnson on the $10 note if they are “brave”.

“I think it’s time for Fred to take a back seat because The Bahamas does not need to be separated along racial lines,” Mr Culmer said. “We need leaders who will encourage Bahamians to unite forces to build this country. Fred Mitchell, over the years and even more recently, continues to encourage division, violence and racial separation in this country.

“Again we are heading into (an) election and Fred is trying to use this white and black issue, just like the PLP did in previous elections to divide black and white Bahamians along the line. Sir Stafford has done more for this country than Fred has ever done. We are still using the models on tourism and banking to operate this country. Sir Stafford Sands had set up those models.

“Furthermore, the question everyone must ask is, ‘Is Sir Stafford a Bahamian?’ Sir Stafford is of Eleuthera descent. He was born in Eleuthera and migrated from Eleuthera to New Providence. He is a Bahamian. Fred cannot call the kettle black. He is calling Sir Stafford a racist, but he is also a racist as he is trying to divide black Bahamians against white Bahamians.”

Senator Mitchell responded to Mr Culmer’s comments in the Senate yesterday.

“I see the chairman of the party has launched another vicious attack on me personally so The Tribune calls me to respond to that,” he said. “Why should I be responding to foolishness? It’s just rubbish! All I made was a simple point which was supported by the Central Bank of The Bahamas not the Progressive Liberal Party.

“They are the ones who said we have been working on this since 2016, not us. Then there’s all this petty and this and that and all the rest of it. Now today The Tribune is saying that the chairman of the FNM is saying I am fermenting violence. Where? In which country? Where did it happen? This is nonsense!

“Because I take a philosophical approach and ideological position from you in regards to these orders. The orders are about civil liberties. That’s what it is. And, in every country there has been this push back saying, ‘look, you are going too far.’”

Disturbed by the accusations, Senator Mitchell sought to clarify what he meant in the voice note and what brought him to say what he did.

“There are riots in France over vaccination and non-vaccination,” he explained. “Down in Antigua, the police had to use tear gas to disperse people from attacking the vans with vaccines. Mia Motley has every seat in Parliament, but there’s a huge demonstration in Barbados. ‘Mia must go!’ over vaccines. In St Vincent, unfortunately, the Prime Minister during a debate on vaccines gets hit in the head by a rock.

“So Fox Hill Day, I get called to a scene in Step Street in Fox Hill. This curfew thing has been moved back from 10 o’clock to 9 o’clock. Lord only knows what difference ten and nine makes. So three police cars pull up and say to these people who are celebrating Fox Hill Day that they have to stop. And, that they are waiting until the COVID police comes because if they don’t go everybody is going to get fined or written up for a ticket.

“All I’m saying is if you push the population too far, you are going to have a push back. That’s all I said. So pull back on this stuff. Understand that people are sick and tired of this. You have to understand that human beings are social creatures and you cannot bottle up the population forever.”

Comments

ThisIsOurs says...

He could have added "*before we see what happened in the Bahamas on May 10 2017*". My understanding is he was referring to govts being booted out of office

Posted 13 August 2021, 6:10 p.m. Suggest removal

@coakley4mical says...

#ATTN: FRED MITCHEL (FM) AND CARL CULMER (CC): "AHH! YOU TWO JUST KISS AND PICK UP!"
Freddie & Carlos, I am surprise that I have to warn CC, and give Fred some legal advise about the potential libelous comments made by Carl, and the defamatory remarks made by Carl or possibly the tribune reporter.
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Now; unless this is the truth that from high school Fred Mitchel would do things that Carl stated above, then that means Carl is alluding that Fred is Sociopathologically wired like that! Then that is disturbing; especially since he served as Min. of Foreign affairs! Furthermore Carl seemed to have implied, nope; he stated; but that's if the reporter is any good of a journalist; then Carl stated that Fred has been leaching off the Bahamian public finance; regardless of his professional studies. and then the only thing Fred volleys back with is those 3 points. Well it was 3 effective contra-punches but Fred either was hit to hard that he forgot about the uppercut landed by *Carl* "The Clocker" *Culmer*, or *Fred* "Astaire" *Mitchel* wants us to forget about it.
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#IF THAT IS THE CASE THEN BOTH FRED MITCHELL AND CARL CULMNER NEEDS TO STOP WITH THE POLITICAL PATTY-CAKE GAME!
The Bahamian people are out of work and can't find a job, have families to take care of and food to put on the table and for the 2 of you to continue on any further is a disrespect to the Bahamian people and the Bahamian electorate and it shows you both and your party are more distant than ever from the pain and discontent the people are feeling, either in the here and now or just think of the what to do tomorrow!
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#SO; LIKE I SAID YOU 2 NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE BIGGER PICTURE!
A wise man once said; "**A word to the wise is sufficient**!"

Posted 13 August 2021, 7:42 p.m. Suggest removal

carltonr61 says...

The looming forced vaccination of our children RBDF and RBPF is a quantitative move that could cause a qualitative effect. Enraged crabs will break out the pen as is happening in France and Italy with Canada next. Vaccine imperialism by world dictator leaders is being forced upon us.

Posted 14 August 2021, 8:42 a.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

is Mr: Culmer responsible for that add wth MR" Davis/ because they are all running away from them in the house and in the senate. The PM slumped deeper and deeper in his chair and began to chew something Banister and Wells and Campbell came to his defence, did Banister
tell the PM not to answer

It is a silly ad. because everything they say about the PLP they have done a million times worse

The voice on the video sound much like that woman from the guardian.

Posted 15 August 2021, 3:39 p.m. Suggest removal

licks2 says...

Birdie. . .do you think that what adds are saying about Mr. D are not common knowledge in public??

They een started to bring ouut things about the man that will make the PLP cringe!! You done gone and forget the Toggie and Bobo affair aye?? Or about his lies in HOP about the BAMSI crookedness huh?

Posted 16 August 2021, 2:38 p.m. Suggest removal

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