As we told you at the top of the news, there was an ugly episode in front of the House Of Representatives this afternoon. It happened around 1:30when the meeting was finished - and the representatives were leaving. But before we get to the fight where actual blows were thrown, we first have to give you the background. It all started with the member for Cayo South Julius Espat speaking on the adjournment. His matter of public interest was a parcel of land in Cotton Tree Village that has been set aside to allow for 254 lots to be given to Port Loyola residents. Espat said it disenfranchises villagers who cannot get land for themselves:
Ok, so that should have been the end of it, right. Issues raised, solution proposed, and things move on…except they didn't. The House meeting adjourned right after that and that's when chaos unfolded. The media was interviewing the Prime Minister at the top of the House stairs when he saw something going on at the bottom of the stairs:..
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Well, what's happening man? What is going on?"
That's UDP soldier extraordinaire Allan Kelly trying to throw a blow at a PUP operative. It all started when Vaughan Gill - PUP political Officer For Cayo South - started shouting at Port Loyola's Anthony Boots Martinez as he walked down the stairs.
Mase-bearer Brian Yellowman Audinett stepped in and lunched across to slap Gill in his neck. Now, we didn't get any of that on camera because we were interviewing the Prime Minister upstairs, but we did get the aftermath - which is when Kelly was trying to get in his blow.
We spoke to Martinez about it and more chaos unfolded:..
Jules Vasquez
"What went on?"
Hon. Boots Martinez
"It's just Vaughan Gill pushing in people face, in my face and was being disrespectful. You see him coming again."
Vaughan Gill
"Stop lying about me pointing in your face."
Hon. Boots Martinez
"It's you who came pushing in my face."
Vaughan Gill
"He has enough land in Cotton Tree for all the people in Port and I will make everyone in Port Loyola know that Boots is giving away land so some for your land - that is what pissed him off."
Hon. Boots Martinez
"Vaughan Gill as far as I am concern is not my colleague, but to be disrespectful and wanting to push up in people face of which we had nothing to do with. That's why when he was rude and upstart....."
Vaughan Gill
"You have land and you are giving it to special people - that is what I will make the people of Port knows - put pressure on you and I will give them your phone number so they can call you for their piece of land because you have enough."
Hon. Boots Martinez
"You can give them your mother's phone number sir."
Vaughan Gill
"You need to respect yourself as minister."
Hon. Boots Martinez
"I haven't said anything. I said you can give them your mother's phone number."
Vaughan Gill
"I don't put things in my mother's name to cover it up - that is what I know."
Hon. Boots Martinez
"Don't give them my phone number, I am no relative of yours, give them your mother's phone number sir."
Jules Vasquez
"Boots you really didn't need to get to this level."
Hon. Boots Martinez
"You came to give me an interview and you hear his intervention, rude and disrespectful. All I was saying to him that him and I are not colleague, you come and approach me rude and disrespectful. I am not PUP, I am UDP representative for Port Loyola - how he came in my face and be rude - that was what the commotion was about. It was not even about me."
"The fundamental issue is Vaughan Gill coming up disrespectful. I am coming down from the House and it was he who approaches me about this and that. Him and I are not colleague. He is a fanatic of the PUP and I am a representative you see and that's why I need to say what I say to him."
"Maybe you like the drama, that's why you turn the mic, but it was me that you were interviewing. I think you will have to agree with me and without knowing what happen - he aggress me personally."
As you see there it was still going on for a while after - but by the end of it, Martinez and Gill were laughing, not with each other, but at each other.
Email
Print