REECE CHIPMAN MP FNM THROWS MINNIS A CURVE BALL

They say that 24 hours is a lifetime in politics.  Last week proved to be just that.  Reece Chipman, the MP for Centreville, who won his seat for the FNM by 4 votes against the incumbent Prime Minister Perry Christie was fired on Saturday 24 March as Chairman of the Antiquities Corporation.  There was a brief announcement from the Cabinet Office. The sip sip was that he had refused to resign when the Prime Minister asked him to do so.  The Prime Minister refused to say why he was fired.  He gave the impression though that there was some corruption on Mr. Chimpan’s part when the PM spoke to the press about it.  The next day after Mr. Minnis’ statement, Mr. Chipman struck back on 28 March saying that he was considering suing the Prime Minister.  There are lots of questions.  If there was corruption how come Mr. Chipman is not in handcuffs like the PLP former MPs?  The Prime Minister must give the reasons.  The other question is what of Mr. Chipman’s future.  Is this another Greg Moss situation?  Will he spend his time sniping from the backbench until the next election with nothing getting done for his constituents?  Some say he will cross the floor to the PLP.  We don’t think that’s realistic.  But what it shows is that things change on a dime and the PLP ought to get its candidates in the field, at least starting some limited canvassing.