Stability vital after BHC scandal - Slayton

The US Consul General has emphasised the need for stability, a commitment to the rule of law and a free press in light of the Bermuda Housing Corporation scandal.

Gregory Slayton was asked during an in-depth interview with The Royal Gazette for his reaction to recent events surrounding the leaking of a Police report containing allegations about Premier Ewart Brown and other politicians in relation to BHC.

The leak led Dr. Brown to threaten a severing of ties with the Governor, as well as a Police raid at a television news station and the arrest of independent Auditor General Larry Dennis.

Public Safety Minister David Burch also called for Governor Sir John Vereker to relinquish control of the Police.

Mr. Slayton, 47, said he could not comment specifically on the events of the past two months but could talk in general terms.

He told this newspaper: “There is nothing more important to a nation than the rule of law that respects the rights of every individual and respect for the democratic process.

“That’s true for Bermuda, it’s true for the United Kingdom and it’s true for the United States of America.

“I believe and I hope that all members of Government here understand that.”

Alluding to the prospect of a summer general election, he said: “It’s always difficult in a political season. Things get emotional in political times.

“I’m always an optimist and I believe all parties will keep in the forefront the long-term benefits that have been brought to Bermuda by the rule of law, respect for the individual and respect for the democratic process.”

Mr. Slayton, a Republican and first-time diplomat who has been on the Island since September 2005, said it was no accident that Bermuda was “the wealthiest country in the world on a GDP per capita basis” and that was due, in part, to its stability.

“I have had the unfortunate experience of living in countries that disintegrated because the rule of law was violated,” he said, adding that he was not comparing those countries to the Island.

“It’s easy to take for granted those things. It’s easy to say this is the way it’s always going to be.”

The rule of law was one of the topics which Dr. Brown discussed with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on a bilateral visit to Washington, DC, last month.

Mr. Slayton, who organised and attended the trip, shrugged his shoulders and smiled when asked if he had suggested the topic to Dr. Rice.

“That may or may not be the case,” he said. “I can only give my boss, the Secretary of State, a briefing. What she ends up saying is up to her.

“She certainly is aware of Bermuda’s great success and she’s also aware those successes are built on the foundation of the rule of law.”

The United States’ senior diplomat to Bermuda said the Island’s status as a British Overseas Territory was one reason US businesses felt comfortable here.

Mr. Slayton would not comment on the current gagging of the media over the BHC file, pending a Privy Council decision.

“The courts will sort that out,” he said. “I hope they will do that quickly.”

He added that Bermuda’s “vibrant, free press” was a huge asset to the country.

“These are not easy issues and it’s important that there is a vigorous and vibrant debate. A free press is absolutely critical.”

Slayton: Stability vital for future

Courtesy of Royal Gazette reporter Sam Strangeways