The upcoming visit by Bermuda Premier W. Alexander Scott has drawn the ire of Opposition members, who say mixing a personal speaking engagement at a People’s Progressive Movement function with an official state visit is a breach of accepted protocols.
As a result, members of the Opposition will not be attending the scheduled events for Mr. Scott’s official visit, Leader of the Opposition McKee Bush said at a press conference Thursday. Other members of the Opposition attending the press conference were West Bay MLAs Ralston Anglin, Cline Glidden and Captain Eugene Ebanks.
The PPM has advertised Mr. Scott’s attendance as guest speaker at its Annual Conference being held on Saturday.
‘We take no issue with whom they choose to speak at their conference,’ Mr. Bush said. ‘What is of concern, however, is that there are last minute arrangements by the PPM Government to promote this as an official visit by Premier Scott, when clearly he is here at the invitation of their party.’
After speaking at the PPM conference on Saturday, Mr. Scott is scheduled to attend a cocktail reception at the Governor’s House on Monday, to tour the Turtle Farm and areas of West Bay affected by Hurricane Ivan on Tuesday afternoon, and a breakfast hosted by the Speaker of the House on Wednesday morning.
Mr. Bush said a representative of the Governor’s office had told them Mr. Scott’s visit was ‘purely a political visit’ and was arranged by the Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts as far as she was aware.
Mr. Tibbetts asked the Governor to host the cocktail reception, Mr. Bush said he was told.
‘These arrangements clearly beg the question: Who is responsible for the Premier’s visit?
‘If this is being done by the PPM, then his role, while here, ought to relate to the Party’s activities. If he is a guest of the Government, it calls into question his inclusion as Guest Speaker at the PPM’s conference,’ Mr. Bush said.
Mr. Anglin said it was not reasonable to think the nature of Mr. Scott’s visit could be one of a guest of the PPM on Saturday and then magically become an official visit on Monday.
‘It is an absolute ridiculous and preposterous position for the Opposition and the people of the country to accept,’ he said.
‘In one visit he’s trying to mix the two, but they’re like oil and water and don’t mix, and it doesn’t sit well with us.’
The Opposition said it had been unable to determine what the official stance of the Bermuda government was with regard to Mr. Scott’s visit here.
‘We would be very surprised to find out he has the permission of his Parliament to make an official visit,’ Mr. Glidden said.
Mr. Bush said that if Mr. Scott were speaking at a PPM event while on an official visit it could be considered interference into Cayman’s politics.
‘It is obvious that there has been a clear breach of protocol in this matter and that this visit, though at the behest of the PPM, is now being dressed up as an official visit,’ Mr. Bush said, who said he had not even received invitations to the official functions.
Other members of the Opposition said they had received the invitation to the cocktail reception last week, to the breakfast on Tuesday and to the tour – which came by email – just on Wednesday.
‘This is at best a blurring of the lines between official government duties and the political parties and at worst a corruption of the protocols and traditions of Government.’
In taking no part of the events scheduled as part of the official visit, Mr. Bush said it was nothing personal against Mr. Scott, whom he said he has met previously.
‘This is no disrespect to the Honourable Premier or the people of Bermuda.’
One issue at stake raised by the Opposition was who was paying for Mr. Scott’s visit. Official visits are paid for by the Government, but if Mr. Scott’s visit were only a speaking engagement, then the PPM would be paying for it.
Speaking during a Radio Cayman interview on the subject Thursday afternoon, Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts said the PPM would pay for the airfare and accommodations for the entire length of stay for Mr. Scott and his wife.
‘It’s not like our tab stops on Sunday,’ he said.
Mr. Tibbetts said there was nothing untoward about the plans for Mr. Scott’s visit. ‘Forgive me if I don’t see the importance of it, but I really don’t.
‘I invited the Premier to be our guest speaker at the conference,’ Mr. Tibbetts said, adding that when Mr. Scott first accepted the invitation, he was scheduled to leave the day after speaking.
‘Then I got a call from him and he said, on reflection, there were some visits he wanted to make while here.
‘Rather than go and come again, he asked if he could make them while he was here.’
Mr. Tibbetts said he spoke to the Governor about the protocols and was told he could accommodate Mr. Scott.
‘I have total confidence his Excellency would not wish to participate in anything against protocol,’ Mr. Tibbetts said.
When advised that the Opposition would not be taking part in any of the official events planned for Mr. Scott, Mr. Tibbetts said: ‘That is their decision. I must remind the Speaker to plan for lesser numbers to cut down some of the costs for the breakfast.’
Mr. Tibbetts said it would have been difficult to refuse Mr. Scott’s request as a matter of courtesy, especially since Bermuda was helpful to Cayman after Hurricane Ivan.
‘The Premier wants to meet with some of the people who had interacted with the Bermuda Regiment that assisted us after Hurricane Ivan,’ Mr. Tibbetts said, adding that Mr. Scott also wants to visit some schools while here and the Turtle Farm.
‘What is inherently wrong with fostering relations with our neighbours,’ Mr. Tibbetts asked.
Mr. Bush
Mr. Tibbetts
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