Leader of The Bahamas Constitution Party Ali McIntosh said Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources V. Alfred Gray should resign immediately.
The leader of the 10 member party that launched its 2017 election campaign on Tuesday said “Gray needs to go!”
According to McIntosh, Prime Minister Perry Christie has failed The Bahamas and should not allow Mr. Gray to remain as a Cabinet minister after allegations surfaced claiming that he called for the release of a prisoner in Mayaguana who was convicted and sentenced to incarceration.
“There was a breach in the constitution regarding the separation of powers and he was wrong as I have previously indicated. He was wrong when he called the magistrate and he was wrong again when he called him the second time,” she said.
Ms. McIntosh explained that the prime minister is practicing bad governance, as she believes he should have called for Mr. Gray’s complete resignation a long time ago.
She added that the prime minister has lost focus of the country and only cares about protecting his ministers.
“I am going to call like everyone else for Gray to resign immediately or be fired but where is the prime minister in all this,” she asked.
“The fact that the prime minister does not see it fit for that to happen obviously shows that he does not agree with the principle of good governance and the rules of the law regarding executives not interfering with judicial matters. Mr. Christie has failed The Bahamas not for the first time, but again, repeatedly!”
Last month accusations surfaced of Mr. Gray calling for the release of a prisoner who had been convicted by Family Island Administrator Zephaniah Newbold, even though the prisoner received a sentence after being charged with assault on an officer, obscene language, resisting arrest and disorderly behavior.
Following calls by the Free National Movement, the Democratic National Alliance and from many members of the public, last week Mr. Gray asked to be relieved of his duties as minister of local government.