The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

ACTIVIST and former Senator John Bostwick II blames voter apathy and general political fatigue for the Free National Movement’s defeat at the polls last Thursday.

In that election, the Progressive Liberal Party won 32 of 39 seats in the House of Assembly, with the FNM winning the remainder.

With voter turnout around 65 percent, Mr Bostwick believes the PLP’s win is not a “true mandate” with voters not feeling inclined to show up at the polls.

Mr Bostwick, the son of FNM trailblazers J Henry and Dame Janet Bostwick, said a true mandate comes with re-election.

“The FNM suffered extreme voter apathy and a general fatigue in the Bahamian population in regard to politics,” the former FNM senator said. “I don’t think anybody really feels that what the PLP presently enjoys is a true mandate, although it’s amongst the majority.

“I think the low voter turnout is something to take note of, but we also have to note COVID. “Feeling safe or not, 20 to 30 percent of those who would normally vote, just stay home is in itself a protest vote. It’s an example of persons not feeling forced to vote for any of the alternatives, including the third parties that were on offer.

“With that said, I don’t know if any party has had a true mandate for some time. A true mandate really comes with re-election and as you said there has been a ‘voting out’ of the FNM. Albeit they’ve had a lot of things to deal with. There’s been an expression of a lack of satisfaction with the now outgoing FNM administration.”

Mr Bostwick noted that the PLP’s rebuilding after its defeat in the 2017 election as an example for the FNM to follow.

“They have to do what the PLP did to some extent, after suffering a similar defeat in 2017,” he said. “Did the PLP reinvent itself? Not really. Will the FNM redefine itself? I think it is more under pressure to do that than the PLP. In redefining itself, does it move forward or does it move in some ways backwards?

“The FNM has to very quickly have a leadership team. If it’s going to have a battle over that leadership then it needs to have it and then move on. One would say that it needs to infuse itself with new, young, visionary energetic leadership.

“I think that there are such persons available in The Bahamas. I really do think that The Bahamas has a lot of people whose talents need to be called upon. Are there such persons in the FNM? Yes there are. This is a time for national brilliance. Every political organisation should be looking for that in its leadership.”

Before the general election, some FNM members faced allegations over contracts, which they refuted and chalked up to PLP “mudslinging”.

Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis came out and defended one of the members of Parliament, who has denied the claims, but for the most part, the FNM remained quiet on the allegations.

Touching lightly on the subject, Mr Bostwick said he hopes the allegations are untrue, as they would be a poor reflection not just on a political party, but on The Bahamas as a nation.

“I would hope that the said allegations are not true,” he said. “I wouldn’t want allegations of corruption to be true about anybody who has held high office in The Bahamas, because ultimately it reflects poorly on all of us.”

The FNM had an executive meeting yesterday with a council meeting set for today in an effort to decide the way forward for the party.