Following a shameful court battle in the Supreme Court, where Justice Jon Isaacs confirmed that errors were made in the local government election. Sidney Collie has accepted responsibility for the UNDEMOCRATIC elections and has therefore resigned form the Ingraham government. Below is a full text of that announcement to Parliament. Our photo show Prime Minister in Parliament and Sidney Collie inset. Bahamas Press in a release just before this announcement called for Prime Minister to dump Collie. Sources inside the Ingraham camp noted to Bahamas Press that had Collie not resign, Ingraham had planned to dump him from the Cabinet.
LISTEN NOW – Prime Minister Ingraham’s Statement
LISTEN NOW – Blue Hills MP Sidney Collie’s Statement
COMMUNICATION BY
THE HON. SIDNEY COLLIE
Minister of Lands and Local Government
30 June 2008
Mr. Speaker:
During its previous term in office the Free National Movement took steps to satisfy a desire on the part of the people of our Family Islands for effective democratic local government. That hunger for elected local representation had remained unsatisfied though promised for decades.
My Ministry and I were responsible just recently for the conduct of local elections in accordance with legislation passed by The Bahamas Parliament.
I regret to say that mistakes were made in the process which led to a court action and the consequent frustration of many Family Island voters who were looking forward to exercising their democratic right to vote.
I should like to say to Honourable Members and to the Bahamian people that I take full responsibility for what happened and I apologize to Parliament and to the Bahamian people, especially those who were directly affected.
Mr. Speaker:
It is central to our system of cabinet government that Ministers should accept responsibility for ministerial action or inaction, so having regard to the order of the mistakes made in this matter, I have decided that it would be in the best interest of the people and the Government for me to relinquish the office of Minister of Lands and Local Government.
I have so informed the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister and, accordingly, I have today tendered my resignation to His Excellency the Governor General.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
there is an old saying that goes like this “erry dog gat dey day” if there are more to go they time een com yet.could be worse for them when it does.all a wee is one family still
If I were Mr. Collie, I would be wondering why when I resigned because “mistake were made”, it is the “resposible thing to do”, and I am bestowed with mounds of praise from the PM, but there are others in the very same cabinet who deserve to go for mistakes, lapses in judgment, conflict of interest. etc. are allowed to stay. Hmmmm.. makes you think.
Comments are closed.