By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

TWO former House Speakers have expressed concern over Wednesday’s chaotic scenes in Parliament, which saw Opposition members forcibly removed, describing the incident as a symptom of deeper systemic issues within The Bahamas’ parliamentary system.

Former Speakers Italia Johnson and Halson Moultrie spoke to The Tribune after Wednesday’s event which saw St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright hurling the ceremonial mace out of a window.

The act led to police forcibly removing Opposition members.

“The Speaker should be getting independent legal advice as head of the legislative branch,” Mr Moultrie said yesterday, “But instead, the Attorney General, who advises the executive branch, is seen advising the Speaker, which should never happen. This dynamic makes it nearly impossible for the Speaker to effectively balance the interests of both sides of the House.”

Reflecting on his tenure, Mr Moultrie reiterated calls for parliamentary reforms to empower the Speaker and strengthen the legislature’s independence from the executive branch.

In 2021, he resigned from the Free National Movement (FNM), describing the legislature’s subservience to the executive as “untenable”.

Meanwhile, Ms Johnson said Wednesday’s events reflect governance failures that prioritise political parties over national interests.

“The parliament itself is a unique body of governance. If you clearly think it through, the government will always win because of their numbers. But why should there be any effort to stifle the Opposition? Preventing the Opposition from making its contribution diminishes the institution.”

Ms Johnson also raised concerns about the lack of public trust in governance. “We are building a nation, and in order to build a nation, you must build the people. And in order to build the people, you must educate the people so the people will know their rights,” she said.

While neither former Speaker directly criticised current House Speaker Patricia Deveaux, both Mr Moultrie and Ms Johnson alluded to broader concerns about the Speaker’s role in maintaining fairness and parliamentary decorum.

Mr Moultrie said the perceived bias of the Speaker creates unnecessary conflict, while Ms Johnson called for an approach that values dialogue over suppression.

Mr Moultrie acknowledged that while the Opposition’s actions on Wednesday were extreme, they were rooted in feelings of unfair treatment. 

“Incidents like this will continue to happen as long as the Speaker is perceived to be serving the majority party instead of acting as an independent arbiter,” he said, adding that Wednesday’s escalation demonstrates the urgent need for parliamentary reform.

Ms Johnson framed the events as a reflection of broader governance failures. She criticised what she described as the prioritisation of political parties over national interests, stating: “Above the party is a nation called the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, to which its citizens should expect it to function—not for politicians, but for the people.”

Ms Johnson warned that sidelining dissent weakens democracy and damages The Bahamas’ international credibility. 

“When I present my passport anywhere in the world, I don’t want it to be looked upon with questioning credibility. The people must be confident they are the beneficiaries of the flag and the Constitution, and right now, that’s not happening,” she said.