Senator Michael Dunkley

Senator Michael Dunkley yesterday blasted the Premier for "flagrantly operating outside his constitutional authorities" by bringing four former Guantánamo Bay prisoners to Bermuda.

The Opposition Senate Leader, who tabled a take note motion on the topic in the Upper Chamber, questioned who was really behind the plan to bring the Uighur Muslims here last month.

"How did this Gitmo process really start?" he asked, in a speech to the Senate. "Did the Premier read about it in the Washington Post, did the Premier's new lobbying firm come up with the idea or, as [Immigration] Minister [David] Burch said, did it start at the 'highest levels'? The truth needs to be told."

He added that the issue cut to the heart of political leadership. "Who guards our Constitution? With the Premier, in my opinion, flagrantly operating outside his constitutional authorities and his Government giving him the thumbs up in the no confidence vote, can Bermuda trust this Government to uphold the rule of law?"

Sen. Dunkley's motion asked Senators to "take note of the process by which four former inmates of Guantánamo Bay prison camp in Cuba were relocated to and have been promised residency in Bermuda".

He asked why the mission was secret and rushed. "Virtually every other country working with the US Government on this matter is doing so openly, in the sunshine of public scrutiny," said the former UBP leader.

Immigration Minister David Burch, who flew here with the four Uighurs on a private plane from Cuba, said Sen. Dunkley's views that the constitution and laws had been broken were untrue.

He added: "There's been a little bit of dishonesty at this table. You can't say that everything the Premier and I have said are lies and then ask us questions.

"It was the right thing to do on humanitarian grounds. I counted on the care and compassion of the Bermudian people. In spite of the initial reaction, I'm still counting on it. It was the right thing to do."

Referring to the three demonstrations held against Dr. Brown after the men came here, Sen. Burch said: "It had to do with a percentage of the population that tasted Premier Brown's blood."

The Minister defended the secrecy of the decision to bring the Uighurs here, saying: "Secrecy was sought and respected."

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