Ewart Brown
Encyclopedia
Ewart Frederick Brown, Jr. (born 1946) was Premier of Bermuda
and leader of the Progressive Labour Party (PLP)
from 2006 and 2010. He served as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Warwick South Central for 17 years until his retirement from politics in October 2010.
Brown was elected leader of the ruling Progressive Labour Party on 30 October 2006, defeating his predecessor, Alex Scott
, at a PLP delegates conference. He is the third leader of the PLP since the party won the 2003 general election. Brown led the party to win a third term in power in the election on 18 December 2007.
Brown is also a physician
and medical director of Bermuda Healthcare Services. He is married to Wanda Henton Brown and has four sons, two are from a previous marriage. The sons are: Kevin, Maurice, Ewart III, and Donovan.
. His mother, Helene Brown, was a member of parliament for the United Bermuda Party
(UBP), as was his aunt, Gloria Juanita McPhee, who became Bermuda's first female cabinet minister. He attended the public Central School (today known as Victor Scott Primary) in Pembroke
until the age of 11, after which he was awarded a government scholarship to attend Berkeley Institute. He eventually was sent by his parents to live with an aunt in Jamaica
, where he excelled in sports, particularly cricket
and track and field
, while attending St Jago High School in Spanish Town, eventually representing that country in the 400-yard sprint.
Brown's sporting achievements led him to university in the United States of America. The University of Illinois
offered him a scholarship, but Brown chose instead to attend Howard University
, a historically black university in Washington, D.C.
. In 1966, he represented Bermuda at the Commonwealth Games
, reaching the second round of the 400-yard dash. As a student leader, he was a vocal figure during the Washington riots, speaking alongside campus activists and Black Panther
leaders such as Stokely Carmichael
. Brown graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, lettering in football
and track and field.
Inspired by his uncle, G.B. McPhee, a practising physician, Brown decided to continue his education and become a doctor. He earned an M.D.
from Howard's College of Medicine, and moved to Los Angeles
to pursue a Master of Public Health
from the University of California
. His key areas of study included family medicine, population control and international health. Brown remained in Los Angeles, acquiring US citizenship and opening a medical practice, the Vermont Century Medical Clinic, in 1974.
Brown received the Physicians Recognition Award from the American Medical Association
in 1977, the Grassroots Health Award from the Sons of Watts California
in 1979, the Community Leadership Award from the Dubois Academic Institute in 1982, and the NAACP's Pacesetter Award in 1984.
Brown became a director for the Marcus Garvey School, a K-8 school in Los Angeles, which named him Humanitarian of the Year in 1991. He also spent time as an assistant professor in the Department of Family Practice at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
.
, facing the two incumbent UBP members of parliament: Quinton L. Edness and John H. Sharpe. Brown finished only two votes behind Edness, winning Sharpe's seat.
In the following general election in 1998, Brown again won one of the Warwick West seats, and was joined by another PLP candidate during the PLP's unprecedented victory over the UBP. With the PLP in control of parliament, Brown was appointed to Cabinet as the Minister of Transport.
Air arrivals at Bermuda International Airport
increased by 15 percent between 2003–2007, largely due to the introduction of low cost airline
service in 2004, reversing a twenty-year decline from the 1980s. While James G. Howes
was the General Manager, the Bermuda International Airport was recognized as the best in the North American region for overall passenger satisfaction for both 2002 and 2003, as well as ninth in the world in 2002, for which the Brown threw a party for every airport employee and their families. In October 2008, however, the Department of Statistics announced that visitor arrivals had plunged from the previous year to their second lowest level since 1980, saying ”Air arrivals during the second quarter of 2008 [April–June] fell 10 percent compared to the same quarter last year... The number of visitors stood at 89,642 persons, representing the second lowest second quarter visitor total since 1980.” Cruise ship calls also declined from 181 in 2007 to 122 in 2008. In mid-2008, Brown put additional tourism promotional emphasis in the New York market (Bermuda's largest), resulting in a 27% increase in New York arrivals for December 2008 compared to December 2007, officials said. Overall, December 2008 arrivals were almost 7% higher than December 2007. The government projects 300,000 cruise visitors in 2009.
In 2004, Brown clashed with the US Consulate over what was alleged to be a "gross violation" of security at the Bermuda International Airport, when he was said to have avoided security screening procedures. Brown denied the claim, and criticized the Consulate for making the issue public.
Following the PLP's second general election victory by a narrow margin in July 2003, Brown mounted an internal power struggle in the PLP to replace then-Premier Jennifer M. Smith
. Responding to criticisms that the leadership challenge was launched after the voters had already gone to the polls, Brown responded, "We had to deceive you."
A compromise between the factions of the party led to Smith being replaced by William Alexander Scott
and Brown being named Deputy Premier, and later adding the Ministry of Tourism to his portfolio.
When he reshuffled the cabinet, he reclaimed the tourism and transportation portfolios and became, in addition to Premier, the Minister of Tourism and Transport. Since then, the Bermuda Government has made a number of proposals, issuing a Vision Statement: Taking Bermuda to the next level. Current issues include indigent medical care, traffic congestion, environmental concerns over development and waste disposal, race relations, and independence.
On a private member bill
concerning sexual orientation
, Brown rejected the proposal, saying "I firmly believe in the right of all and any individuals to be free from discrimination
in any form. However, I would not support the proposed Human Rights
Amendment. I do not believe that there is a need for special protection of persons in Bermuda based on their sexual orientation
.".
In April 2007, the government proposed restrictions on vehicle ownership, intended to curb Bermuda's growing road congestion problem. Among the solutions offered are free travel on buses and ferries. "There are too many cars in Bermuda. We must find a way – perhaps unpopular to many and disdained by others – to arrest the increase of cars on our beautiful island", he said.
The PLP remains committed to the goal of independence from Great Britain. The electorate defeated the idea with 73% of those who voted coming out against independence in the last referendum on the question (in 1995). However, only 58% of the electorate voted in the independence referendum, which had to be postponed one day due to disruptions caused by Hurricane Felix. Vote results may have been distorted by the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) call to boycott the referendum.
Polls in 2007 and 2008 indicate that two-thirds of the island's voters remain opposed to severing ties for various reasons, including loss of EU
-status (which Bermuda currently has as a British overseas territory). Undaunted, Brown said "I am firmly committed to Bermuda becoming an independent
nation." He has also spurned any participation in Whitehall
's selection of the Governor of Bermuda
, saying, "We want to clarify our position that we are not interested in sending any criteria for any future governors for selection for the reason we don't think it is our responsibility. [The British government] should send whoever they want to send."
Race relations continue to be a vexing issue in Bermuda, occasionally leading to heated exchanges with the press and the opposition UBP in Parliament. Brown rejected one reporter's interrogation as a "plantation question". He later explained, "A plantation
question is for me a question which conjures up images of the plantation: of a master-servant relationship, a man-boy relationship. A question that would be asked of a black politician and not a white one. I will continue to indicate to reporters if that is what a question is."
Responding to opposition criticism of his wife's fund-raising activities voiced in the House of Assembly, he bristled, "Mr. Speaker, I have never had plans to cross this aisle, but in recent weeks that Honourable Member has said a few things that would encourage me to do so. I say to that Honourable Member that I would like to stay on this side of the House and not have come to the other side because it wouldn't be in order to vote for the UBP."
, a United States federal judge, ordered the immediate release of seventeen Chinese Uighurs from Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp (the Uighur detainees in Guantanamo). The United States had previously determined that the Uighurs were never terrorists, and it no longer considered them enemy combatants. Judge Urbina ruled that their detention is illegal because their indefinite detention was without cause. The United States continued to detain the Uighurs, believing their lives would be in danger if they were released to China. There was considerable political pressure from members of Congress not to release the Uighurs in the United States, and the United States had a difficult time finding another country willing to accept them. Eventually, the Republic of Palau
announced that it would accept the remaining Uighurs on a temporary basis.
The following day, Brown announced that he had secretly made a deal with the United States to accept four of the Uighurs, who arrived on the island over-night, on humanitarian grounds; he also promised to make them Bermudian nationals (see also: Belonger status
). The agreement to accept the Uighurs angered the government of the United Kingdom, which was deliberately not informed about the proposed agreement. The government of the United Kingdom maintains that it has the authority over the acceptance of the Uighurs because agreements between Bermuda and foreign nations are strictly under the United Kingdom's control; the government of Bermuda responded that the acceptance of the Uighurs is an immigration case and, thus, an internal matter.
The decision was also kept secret from Brown's Cabinet
(Deputy Premier Paula Cox remarked that she had been "politically neutered"), the Governor and the Bermuda Police Service
, which would be responsible for any security concerns. The Opposition UBP tabled a motion of no confidence
against Brown the next day, saying that the premier's actions violated the Constitution of Bermuda and bordered on dictatorship
; Brown responded by saying that the "firestorm" "would pass" and that his position was not in danger, but that he regretted the response to his actions. The following week, a protest march was organised by a PLP member to oppose Brown's continuing premiership, which was dismissed by Brown.
.
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and leader of the Progressive Labour Party (PLP)
Progressive Labour Party (Bermuda)
The Progressive Labour Party is a political party in Bermuda. It has been in power since 1998, winning subsequent elections in 2003 and 2007.- Formation :...
from 2006 and 2010. He served as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Warwick South Central for 17 years until his retirement from politics in October 2010.
Brown was elected leader of the ruling Progressive Labour Party on 30 October 2006, defeating his predecessor, Alex Scott
William Alexander Scott
William Alexander "Alex" Scott JP, MP is a politician in Bermuda who is the MP for the Warwick South East constituency. Between 2003 and 2006 he served as the Premier of Bermuda and leader of the Progressive Labour Party ....
, at a PLP delegates conference. He is the third leader of the PLP since the party won the 2003 general election. Brown led the party to win a third term in power in the election on 18 December 2007.
Brown is also a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and medical director of Bermuda Healthcare Services. He is married to Wanda Henton Brown and has four sons, two are from a previous marriage. The sons are: Kevin, Maurice, Ewart III, and Donovan.
Early life
Brown was born in Bermuda to Ewart Sr. and Helene Brown of FlattsFlatts Village, Bermuda
Flatts Village is a small settlement in Bermuda, lying on the southern bank of Flatt's Inlet in Hamilton Parish, almost exactly between the territory's two incorporated municipalities, Hamilton and St. George's.-History:...
. His mother, Helene Brown, was a member of parliament for the United Bermuda Party
United Bermuda Party
The United Bermuda Party was a political party in Bermuda. It represented itself as centrist party in favor of a moderate social and fiscal agenda...
(UBP), as was his aunt, Gloria Juanita McPhee, who became Bermuda's first female cabinet minister. He attended the public Central School (today known as Victor Scott Primary) in Pembroke
Pembroke Parish, Bermuda
Pembroke Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It is named after English aristocrat William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke ....
until the age of 11, after which he was awarded a government scholarship to attend Berkeley Institute. He eventually was sent by his parents to live with an aunt in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, where he excelled in sports, particularly cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, while attending St Jago High School in Spanish Town, eventually representing that country in the 400-yard sprint.
Brown's sporting achievements led him to university in the United States of America. The University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
offered him a scholarship, but Brown chose instead to attend Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
, a historically black university in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. In 1966, he represented Bermuda at the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, reaching the second round of the 400-yard dash. As a student leader, he was a vocal figure during the Washington riots, speaking alongside campus activists and Black Panther
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
leaders such as Stokely Carmichael
Stokely Carmichael
Kwame Ture , also known as Stokely Carmichael, was a Trinidadian-American black activist active in the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement. He rose to prominence first as a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and later as the "Honorary Prime Minister" of the Black Panther Party...
. Brown graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, lettering in football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and track and field.
Inspired by his uncle, G.B. McPhee, a practising physician, Brown decided to continue his education and become a doctor. He earned an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from Howard's College of Medicine, and moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to pursue a Master of Public Health
Master of Public Health
The Master of Public Health and the Doctor of Public Health are multi-disciplinary professional degrees awarded for studies in areas related to public health....
from the University of California
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. His key areas of study included family medicine, population control and international health. Brown remained in Los Angeles, acquiring US citizenship and opening a medical practice, the Vermont Century Medical Clinic, in 1974.
Brown received the Physicians Recognition Award from the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
in 1977, the Grassroots Health Award from the Sons of Watts California
Watts, Los Angeles, California
Watts is a mostly residential neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California.-History:The area now known as Watts is located on the Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant...
in 1979, the Community Leadership Award from the Dubois Academic Institute in 1982, and the NAACP's Pacesetter Award in 1984.
Brown became a director for the Marcus Garvey School, a K-8 school in Los Angeles, which named him Humanitarian of the Year in 1991. He also spent time as an assistant professor in the Department of Family Practice at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is a WASC accredited, private, non-profit school located in Willowbrook, unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States. It was founded in 1966 in response to inadequate medical facilities within the Watts region of Los Angeles,...
.
Political life
At the urging of then-PLP leader L. F. Wade, Brown returned to Bermuda and became involved in local politics in 1993. That year, he ran as a PLP candidate for one of the two Warwick West constituency's seats in the House of AssemblyParliament of Bermuda
Parliament has two chambers. Originally, there was only one, the House of Assembly, which held its first session in 1620, making Bermuda's Parliament amongst the World's oldest legislatures. An appointed Privy Council originally performed roles similar to that of an upper house, and of a cabinet...
, facing the two incumbent UBP members of parliament: Quinton L. Edness and John H. Sharpe. Brown finished only two votes behind Edness, winning Sharpe's seat.
In the following general election in 1998, Brown again won one of the Warwick West seats, and was joined by another PLP candidate during the PLP's unprecedented victory over the UBP. With the PLP in control of parliament, Brown was appointed to Cabinet as the Minister of Transport.
Minister of Transport
As Minister of Transport, Brown oversaw the public bus system, taxis, marine ports and ferries, vehicle licensing, and aviation. He introduced a number of reforms, including the completion of the oppositions plan for the replacement of the island's obsolescent ferries with faster, 205-seat catamarans, the Serenity and the Resolute, in 2002.http://www.theroyalgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020604/NEWS/106040009. In May of that year, he clashed with the taxi industry over his proposed legislation to require a GPS-based central despatching system, which was eventually passed into law four years later.Air arrivals at Bermuda International Airport
Bermuda International Airport
L.F. Wade International Airport , formerly named Bermuda International Airport, is the sole airport serving Bermuda, a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is located in the parish of St. George's and is northeast of Bermuda's capital city of Hamilton. In 2006, L.F. Wade...
increased by 15 percent between 2003–2007, largely due to the introduction of low cost airline
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
service in 2004, reversing a twenty-year decline from the 1980s. While James G. Howes
James G. Howes
James Guerdon Howes is an American businessman in the aviation and communications fields and former United States Air Force traffic management officer. He holds a commercial pilot's license with instrument and multi-engine ratings, and a Master of Business Administration degree. Howes has been a...
was the General Manager, the Bermuda International Airport was recognized as the best in the North American region for overall passenger satisfaction for both 2002 and 2003, as well as ninth in the world in 2002, for which the Brown threw a party for every airport employee and their families. In October 2008, however, the Department of Statistics announced that visitor arrivals had plunged from the previous year to their second lowest level since 1980, saying ”Air arrivals during the second quarter of 2008 [April–June] fell 10 percent compared to the same quarter last year... The number of visitors stood at 89,642 persons, representing the second lowest second quarter visitor total since 1980.” Cruise ship calls also declined from 181 in 2007 to 122 in 2008. In mid-2008, Brown put additional tourism promotional emphasis in the New York market (Bermuda's largest), resulting in a 27% increase in New York arrivals for December 2008 compared to December 2007, officials said. Overall, December 2008 arrivals were almost 7% higher than December 2007. The government projects 300,000 cruise visitors in 2009.
In 2004, Brown clashed with the US Consulate over what was alleged to be a "gross violation" of security at the Bermuda International Airport, when he was said to have avoided security screening procedures. Brown denied the claim, and criticized the Consulate for making the issue public.
Following the PLP's second general election victory by a narrow margin in July 2003, Brown mounted an internal power struggle in the PLP to replace then-Premier Jennifer M. Smith
Jennifer M. Smith
Dame Jennifer Meredith Smith, DBE, JP, DHumL, MP was the premier of Bermuda from 1998 until 2003, the first premier who was not a member of the United Bermuda Party...
. Responding to criticisms that the leadership challenge was launched after the voters had already gone to the polls, Brown responded, "We had to deceive you."
A compromise between the factions of the party led to Smith being replaced by William Alexander Scott
William Alexander Scott
William Alexander "Alex" Scott JP, MP is a politician in Bermuda who is the MP for the Warwick South East constituency. Between 2003 and 2006 he served as the Premier of Bermuda and leader of the Progressive Labour Party ....
and Brown being named Deputy Premier, and later adding the Ministry of Tourism to his portfolio.
Minister of Tourism
As Minister of Tourism, Brown replaced the advertising agency handling Bermuda's tourism promotions and closed some overseas tourism department offices in Atlanta, Boston, and Toronto. He also began a number of new tourism promotions, such as a "Pop 'n' Sizzle" local campaign to encourage greater awareness of tourism, with varying degrees of success. Spurred by the increase in air arrivals, hotel occupancy rates were up by ten percent in 2006, compared to 2005. Plans for new hotels have been announced – the first hotel development in Bermuda since the 1970s.Premier
Brown never made a secret of his aspiration to lead Bermuda, telling a Howard University reporter in 2006, "I always wanted to seek the leadership of my country and I'm still in that process." On 12 October 2006, Brown resigned from cabinet to make a second bid for leadership. At a previously scheduled party delegates conference on the evening of 27 October, he defeated the incumbent, Scott, by 107 to 76, and was sworn in as Premier on 30 October. In a subsequent interview with the Bermuda Sun, he said, "I have worked hard, studied hard, and prepared for the task of leadership to the best of the abilities that God has given me."When he reshuffled the cabinet, he reclaimed the tourism and transportation portfolios and became, in addition to Premier, the Minister of Tourism and Transport. Since then, the Bermuda Government has made a number of proposals, issuing a Vision Statement: Taking Bermuda to the next level. Current issues include indigent medical care, traffic congestion, environmental concerns over development and waste disposal, race relations, and independence.
On a private member bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
concerning sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, Brown rejected the proposal, saying "I firmly believe in the right of all and any individuals to be free from discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
in any form. However, I would not support the proposed Human Rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
Amendment. I do not believe that there is a need for special protection of persons in Bermuda based on their sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
.".
In April 2007, the government proposed restrictions on vehicle ownership, intended to curb Bermuda's growing road congestion problem. Among the solutions offered are free travel on buses and ferries. "There are too many cars in Bermuda. We must find a way – perhaps unpopular to many and disdained by others – to arrest the increase of cars on our beautiful island", he said.
The PLP remains committed to the goal of independence from Great Britain. The electorate defeated the idea with 73% of those who voted coming out against independence in the last referendum on the question (in 1995). However, only 58% of the electorate voted in the independence referendum, which had to be postponed one day due to disruptions caused by Hurricane Felix. Vote results may have been distorted by the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) call to boycott the referendum.
Polls in 2007 and 2008 indicate that two-thirds of the island's voters remain opposed to severing ties for various reasons, including loss of EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
-status (which Bermuda currently has as a British overseas territory). Undaunted, Brown said "I am firmly committed to Bermuda becoming an independent
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
nation." He has also spurned any participation in Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
's selection of the Governor of Bermuda
Governor of Bermuda
The Governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government...
, saying, "We want to clarify our position that we are not interested in sending any criteria for any future governors for selection for the reason we don't think it is our responsibility. [The British government] should send whoever they want to send."
Race relations continue to be a vexing issue in Bermuda, occasionally leading to heated exchanges with the press and the opposition UBP in Parliament. Brown rejected one reporter's interrogation as a "plantation question". He later explained, "A plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
question is for me a question which conjures up images of the plantation: of a master-servant relationship, a man-boy relationship. A question that would be asked of a black politician and not a white one. I will continue to indicate to reporters if that is what a question is."
Responding to opposition criticism of his wife's fund-raising activities voiced in the House of Assembly, he bristled, "Mr. Speaker, I have never had plans to cross this aisle, but in recent weeks that Honourable Member has said a few things that would encourage me to do so. I say to that Honourable Member that I would like to stay on this side of the House and not have come to the other side because it wouldn't be in order to vote for the UBP."
Acceptance of Uighur detainees
On 7 October 2008, Ricardo M. UrbinaRicardo M. Urbina
Ricardo M. Urbina is a United States District Court judge in Washington, DC. He has taken senior status.Urbina earned a B.A. from Georgetown University in 1967. He received his law degree from the Law Center at Georgetown University in 1970. He began his legal career as a public defender. He...
, a United States federal judge, ordered the immediate release of seventeen Chinese Uighurs from Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp (the Uighur detainees in Guantanamo). The United States had previously determined that the Uighurs were never terrorists, and it no longer considered them enemy combatants. Judge Urbina ruled that their detention is illegal because their indefinite detention was without cause. The United States continued to detain the Uighurs, believing their lives would be in danger if they were released to China. There was considerable political pressure from members of Congress not to release the Uighurs in the United States, and the United States had a difficult time finding another country willing to accept them. Eventually, the Republic of Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
announced that it would accept the remaining Uighurs on a temporary basis.
The following day, Brown announced that he had secretly made a deal with the United States to accept four of the Uighurs, who arrived on the island over-night, on humanitarian grounds; he also promised to make them Bermudian nationals (see also: Belonger status
Belonger status
Belonger status is a legal classification normally associated with British overseas territories. It refers to people who have close ties to a specific territory, normally by birth and/or ancestry...
). The agreement to accept the Uighurs angered the government of the United Kingdom, which was deliberately not informed about the proposed agreement. The government of the United Kingdom maintains that it has the authority over the acceptance of the Uighurs because agreements between Bermuda and foreign nations are strictly under the United Kingdom's control; the government of Bermuda responded that the acceptance of the Uighurs is an immigration case and, thus, an internal matter.
The decision was also kept secret from Brown's Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
(Deputy Premier Paula Cox remarked that she had been "politically neutered"), the Governor and the Bermuda Police Service
Bermuda Police Service
The Bermuda Police Service is the law enforcement agency of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is responsible for policing the entire archipelago, including incorporated municipalities, and the surrounding waters. It is part of, and entirely funded by, the Government of Bermuda...
, which would be responsible for any security concerns. The Opposition UBP tabled a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
against Brown the next day, saying that the premier's actions violated the Constitution of Bermuda and bordered on dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
; Brown responded by saying that the "firestorm" "would pass" and that his position was not in danger, but that he regretted the response to his actions. The following week, a protest march was organised by a PLP member to oppose Brown's continuing premiership, which was dismissed by Brown.
Resignation
Brown had initially stated he only intended to serve one term as Premier and announced to a party conference in October 2008 that he intended to step down as party leader and premier in October 2010. He did so and was succeeded by as premier and party leader by Paula CoxPaula Cox
Paula Cox is the current Premier of Bermuda, and leader of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party . The Hon. Paula A. Cox JP, MP was elected as Leader of the Progressive Labour Party on Thursday, 28 October 2010...
.