The Press Club On The House Speaker

(From Bahamas Chronicle)

NASSAU, Bahamas, 24 October 2019 — Speaker of the House of Assembly the Hon. Halson Moultrie has come under fire from the Bahamas Press Club for a ruling he made in the House and was sternly warned that “he must be careful that that he is not seen to be, and does not become a dictator” in that Chamber.

In a press statement, the Press Club said it was “appalled by the ruling of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Hon Halson Moultrie on Wednesday, that a Nassau Guardian reporter’s cell phone be turned over to the clerk and that images be deleted.”

“Mr. Moultrie then followed that order with a virtual tongue lashing of the Bahamian media, claiming that ‘false’ and ‘fake’ reports and opinionated stories are appearing in the newspapers,” the press statement noted.

“We would not have a problem with that if the Speaker had given credence to his remarks and stated the false and fake reports, and identified the newspapers,” said Press Club President Anthony Capron.

Noting that he did not, Capron added, “We recognize that the Speaker is the presiding officer in the House, the person who must ensure that the rules are observed and are followed. However, he must be careful that that he is not seen to be, and does not become a dictator in the Chamber.”