The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune. 

In one of his final sermons entitled ''The Drum Major Instincts,'' the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr said that ''there is deep down within all of us an instinct. It's a kind of drum major instinct – a desire to be out in front, a desire to lead the parade, a desire to be first.''

A drum major is somebody who leads a marching band. He is responsible for providing commands to ensemble regarding where to march, what to play, and what time to keep. For all intents and purposes, the drum major is the most important member of a marching band. Without him, there would be chaos and confusion in a marching band. He keeps things organised and structured. While the size and composition of a marching band can vary greatly, there can only be one drum major.

In a political sense, political parties have one true leader, or a drum major. For instance, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) was led by the legendary Sir Lynden Pindling for nearly four decades. During his lengthy career in frontline politics, he was the unquestionable leader of the PLP. In 1970 Pindling told several of his PLP colleagues who were becoming discontented with his leadership, ''If you can't fish, cut bait; if you can't cut bait, get the hell out of the boat.'' While the PLP had its share of many challenges and internal squabbles, the party always made it a point to present a united face to the Bahamian electorate come election time. That is why the party pulled off six consecutive election victories in 1967, 1968, 1972, 1977, 1982 and 1987. Everybody knew who the leader was. There simply was no question about it. Pindling was the face of the PLP.  The PLP was good at not airing its dirty laundry in public.

 Today, the Free National Movement (FNM) appears to be in a leadership crisis. Former Minister of Labour in the Ingraham administration, Dion Foulkes, issued a lengthy press release that essentially undermined the current leader of the opposition party, Dr Hubert Minnis (Killarney). Foulkes denied allegations that the FNM government victimised PLP supporters. A few weeks back, Dr. Minnis told the press that there had been some level of victimisation under the FNM. But he hastened to add that the degree of victimization under the FNM was not as bad as it is now under the PLP regime. Minnis' shocking admission has peeved many FNM supporters. All the same, several weeks after the May 7 general election, a group of PLP supporters, under the auspices of Michelle Reckley, the new head of Urban Renewal 2.0 in Grand Bahama, also levied charges of victimisation under the FNM administration. Several of them claimed to have been fired for no logical reason at all by FNM supporters, other than for their politics. If these people are telling the truth, then Minnis was right after all. Still, the cry and hue of many diehard FNMs throughout the years have been that former prime minister, Hubert Ingraham, kept too many prominent PLPs in important government posts. FNMs were under the impression that since their party was in high office, they should get the spoils. Ingraham, despite what PLP naysayers might say, at least attempted to put an end to political victimisation. Minnis should have said that to the press. He should have given some credit for this. Instead, he gave his political opponents plenty of fodder to chew on; and he essentially undermined his own party. The PLP will never admit to victimizing anyone. Never. Still, despite having peeved many FNMs, Minnis is still the leader of their party. I think the time has now come for FNMs to make up their minds concerning Minnis. Do they want him to be their leader or not? Is the hierarchy of the opposition party willing to keep the Killarney member of Parliament till 2017 as their leader.  If they don't want him to be their leader, they should hold a special convention and elect somebody else, instead of embarrassing him in public. FNMs need to remember that Minnis was thrust into the leadership role after many of the potential leaders of the FNM like Tommy Turnquest, Zhivargo Laing and Carl Bethel lost their election races. I don't think Minnis asked for this. I have seen several letters to the press by diehard FNMs undermining Minnis' leadership. Now Foulkes has done essentially the same thing with his controversial piece in The Nassau Guardian. Even more alarming is the fact that Foulkes didn't run the statement by Minnis as the leader of the FNM. Obviously, there is a disconnect between the two FNMs. The question now on many political observers' mind is this: Who is the true leader of the FNM? Is it Foulkes? Is it Minnis? Is it Loretta Butler-Turner? Is it Ingraham? There have also been reports of a rift between Butler-Turner and Minnis. Some are saying that there is an ongoing power struggle between the two FNM leaders. I hope this unsettling rumour is untrue. However, at the rate the FNM is going right now, it will suffer another crushing defeat in the 2017 general election. The FNM must rally behind Minnis if it wants to at least be a viable and strong opposition to the governing PLP. As it stands right now, there are too many drum majors within the FNM party. Too many individuals within the FNM wants to lead the party. Too many people want to be first. Too many FNMs with a drum major instinct. The party needs to make up its mind once and for all if it wants Minnis or not. It cannot continually throw spokes in his wheels and expect to remain a formidable force in Bahamian politics. If the party continues to embarrass its leader, then it should forfeit the 2017 general election. There is just no way it can topple the PLP with it leadership in shambles. If this foolishness continues, I won't be wasting my time in voting at all. I am sick and tired of FNM leaders fighting among themselves like cats and dogs. FNMs need to understand that there can only be one drum major in their party.

Minnis was elected at a convention to be the party's drum major. It is high time that FNM band members rally behind him and begin to march in unison.

 KEVIN EVANS

Freeport,

Grand Bahama,

August 13, 2012.