The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

THERE remains a constituency of people throughout The Bahamas who are of the opinion that our system of governance should morph into a creature that resembles the American system.

In America, a Presidential election is held every four years and Americans find themselves at the polls principally to elect a man (or woman) who they feel suits the job.

However, the President is only permitted to hold that position for eight years. The man at the helm presently, Donald Trump, has more than seven years remaining on his potential tenure. Last November, Americans braved the cold to replace Barack Obama. He served for eight years and, according to American law, he could not run again. He was what Americans call a “lame duck” President.

I have always opined that the American system of electing a President as far as limiting the amount of times he (or she) is permitted to offer themselves for service, is undemocratic. If the citizens want the man (or woman) for more than eight years, then they should have him (or her) for more than eight years. That is what democracy is all about - acquiescing to the will of the people.

And if a post eight-year President proves to be unworthy of the job, then he can always be removed from power by engaging certain legal processes before the constitutional election day (or on election day) by the people. This eight-year restriction does not apply to senators or congressmen. Some of these politicians make a career out of politics; staying in power 20, 30, even more than 40 years. Why can’t the President do the same?

In The Bahamas, we have bandied about this “term limit” phenomenon for years. Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham even promised to step down after he would have been in power for ten years. He “effectively” stepped down in 2002 (notwithstanding the FNM lost that election). And every astute and well informed Bahamian knows what I mean by “effectively”. Bahamians, after being subjected to five years of PLP governance, voted Hubert Ingraham back into power in 2007; and he ruled for five more years. If this had been America, Hubert Ingraham would not have been allowed to return.

During this recent election cycle Dr Hubert Minnis expressed on more than a few occasions that his party will seek to limit the terms that Prime Ministers will be allowed to serve the Bahamian people at the helm (emulating the US). That election promise, if executed, will be a grave mistake.

How many people live in America - 350 million? And how many live in the Bahamas - 350, 000? That means that America has at least 1,000 times more people than The Bahamas. We are not as fortunate as the Americans in that we do not have 350 million people to pick, choose and refuse from in the leadership pool. And so, if we find that there are quality people who are willing to seek the top vocation in this country, we should be ecstatic that they would offer themselves for service.

Forget term limits. Leave that to the Americans with their millions and millions of people. There is no need for us, in the Bahamas, to tie the hands of the electorate. If we feel the Prime Minister and his party have served too long, as has happened in 1992, 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017, then all we need do is vote them out.

MARVIN G

LIGHTBOURN

Nassau

May 11, 2017