By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie yesterday called Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ decision to prorogue Parliament minutes ahead of his planned “open Parliament” session “an excuse” for him to not attend and a “weak and feeble” political game.

Mr Moultrie spoke shortly after Police Commissioner Paul Rolle, in his capacity as Provost Marshall, read a proclamation from Governor General Sir C A Smith proroguing Parliament.

The unexpected turn of events raised questions among some Bahamians at Rawson Square about whether the special “open Parliament” meeting could still be held.

This was also fueled by claims that police officers had tried to remove Speaker Moultrie from Parliament shortly after the proclamation was read.

Speaking on the issue yesterday, Speaker Moultrie insisted the claims were not true.

However, he admitted there was some confusion among officers as to what the proclamation to prorogue the House meant for him.

“There was no indication from the police of an intent to move the Speaker from Parliament,” Mr Moultrie told reporters. “There was some indication (by police) that they were advised that because the House was prorogued the Speaker no longer has jurisdiction for Parliament Square and I asked the police, well first of all I advised the police that that was nowhere in the rules, nowhere in the Constitution and the police return and they were unable to convince me and themselves that such a position exists.”

Mr Moultrie still held his first “open Parliament” meeting in Rawson Square where over 100 Bahamians gathered.

The nearly four-hour session, which was moderated by Centreville MP Reece Chipman, featured speakers from various political and youth organisations, who all voiced their concerns about the country’s state of affairs, among other things.

Topics of concern discussed included those centred on youth unemployment, Bahamian ownership and economic diversification.

"We have found that over the many years, there has been a disconnect. The people quite frankly did not have the type of representation and the voice in Parliament that is owed, or they deserve," Mr Chipman said.

“And so today we want to support the Speaker in his condition to allow us to become more educated and more aware about our system so that we have our expectations in order.”

For his part, Mr Moultrie said he hopes the open Parliament would deepen democracy and allow Bahamians to “become restless in demanding their rights".

He stressed that the Bahamian people have had enough and added there is a need for more accountability and transparency by the government as it relates to expenditure and the awarding of contracts.

“It’s time for us to say enough is enough,” Mr Moultrie said. “We want to participate. We want accountability. We want transparency. We want freedom of information. We want to be able to summon the politician before the committees of the House of Assembly and to make them produce evidence of their expenditure of the taxpayer’s money.

“We are sick and tired of Cabinet ministers printing glossy reports and telling us what they have done with the people’s money. The time has come for politicians to be called before the committees of this Parliament so that they could account and bring evidence of their expenditure.

“No longer should the Auditor General have to write and request ministers to indicate to him who are the beneficial owners of a company that was the beneficiary of multiple millions of dollars of government contracts. The people have a right to know and the only way you’ll get that right is if you demand that right,” the Nassau Village MP added.

During his speech, Mr Moultrie also criticised Dr Minnis’ decision to prorogue Parliament which he suggested was an intentional and purely political move.

“This initiative today by the Prime Minister is only an excuse for not attending this session today so they can argue that the Parliament was prorogued so there was no need for their attendance. It was a weak and feeble political game,” he said.

Similar sentiments were shared by other political leaders who labelled the move “disgraceful”, “appalling” and an attack on democracy.

“We are absolutely appalled (by) the actions of the Prime Minister of this country,” said Coalition of Independents Party leader, Lincoln Bain. “This is the first time that Bahamians would’ve had a voice in the House of Assembly with an open Parliament. Open parliaments take place all over the Caribbean region.

“This is not anything new to the world, but it would’ve been new to us to finally have a voice. It would’ve meant that the Prime Minister and all of his members of Parliament would’ve had to hear the voice and the complaints of the people… All proroguing the House means is that he does not have to hear what y’all have to say.

“…We think that that is a travesty to democracy, and we feel that it is offensive and I call on every Bahamian, just like the Prime Minister rejected you today, I call on you to reject him on that judgement day when he rings that bell.”

Meanwhile, Bahamas Democratic Movement leader, Cassius Stuart added: “This is basically a tactic of the Prime Minister to muffle the voice of the people.”

For his part, Mr Chipman called the move a “slap in the face".

“It’s really to me a slap in the face of the people because that is where the people are represented. In a pandemic such as this, why are we using such a distraction when we have our very people to take care of, where our health facilities are being debilitated,” the Centreville MP said.

“You are calling the Governor General out of his sick condition to make a decision such as this. It is just unheard of. It’s even not Bahamian because we care more about each other than that.”

Commissioner Rolle returned to Parliament yesterday afternoon to read a second proclamation from the Governor General – saying the next session of Parliament will now begin on September 22.