The Tribune

WHEN Prime Minister Perry Christie made his first bid in 2002 to lead the PLP back to the seat of power after voters – 10 years earlier– had banished them to the political wilderness — he promised that he was introducing Bahamians to a “new PLP.” The Pindling era was dead.

The Ingraham government, after 10 years in office, was defeated. The Christie government was in power, but only for one term. Bahamians soon realised they had been oversold a bill of goods. They tried the “new” PLP for five years, but found them wanting. The Ingraham government was returned for a third term. But, as the world now knows, the Christie government is again back at the helm.

Recently, Fred Mitchell, who seemed to be itching to get into the fight against Baha Mar’s developer, Sarkis Izmirlian, reminded the young investor that he was fortunate that he was not defending his rights during the Pindling era. In those years, said Mr Mitchell, Mr Izmirlian “would not have lasted the next day within the borders of The Bahamas”. But, added Mr Mitchell: “These are, of course, different times, kindlier, gentler days.”

However, it seemed that Mr Mitchell, hankering for the good old PLP days, and apparently miffed that he was not in the limelight in the Baha Mar debate, took his first swipe by an oblique mention in a speech at the UN Security Council meeting in New York on July 30. He didn’t call the Izmirlian name, but he shone the spotlight on an unmanageable investor in the Bahamas.

The topic at the UN meeting was “Peace and security challenges of small island developing states”.

After mentioning climate change, crime, illegal drugs, trafficking in persons, illegal immigration, unemployment, he just could not resist. “The Bahamas,” he announced, “faces now a threat which is existential to good governance, the realization that a single investor can, if not properly managed, seek to destabilize the governance of a country by its dominance of the economy and by deliberately and improperly interfering in the local politics of the country.”

As if what was already out there in the international forum about the Baha Mar tragedy was not sufficiently damaging to our economic future, Mr Mitchell had thrown Mr Izmirlian out — without calling his name — as bait for investigative reporters. And won’t they have a field day – not with Mr Izmirlian, but with the Christie government.

The talk here is that with his eye on being the next prime minister, Mr Mitchell, as Minister of Immigration, hopes to be swept to power on a tough immigration policy — goodbye foreign investor! Who is going to create the jobs now — the Beijing government?

We recently witnessed a clumsy scene in the House of Assembly when the “new” PLP tried to silence Dr Andre Rollins, one of their outspoken young members, by attempting to close the debate before he could speak. However, saved by the conscience of House Speaker Dr Kendal Major, Dr Rollins, was allowed to say what he had to say. When he had spoken his mind, he resigned from his party and sat down.

Although Dr Rollins considered that he was badly treated by his colleagues, Mr Mitchell would have considered his treatment “kinder and gentler” than it would have been in the Pindling era — the era of the PLP “goon squads.” In those days you could be silenced by a chair cracking your skull, which is what happened at the opening of what was to have been a peaceful meeting at Lewis Yard, Grand Bahama, on the night of November 15, 1970. The meeting was called by dissident PLPs, headed by the late Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield.

It all started on the night of October 23, 1970, when Sir Cecil (Mr Whitfield as he then was) quietly left the Sheraton British Colonial Hotel, where the PLP were in convention, and walked up the hill to Government House. On arrival he summoned Governor-General Sir Francis Cumming-Bruce and at 8pm handed him his resignation as a member of Prime Minister Pindling’s cabinet. At the time Mr Whitfield was the powerful Education Minister. He had not resigned from his party, he had only resigned from his ministry.

Mr Whitfield had told no one – not even his wife– of his resignation plans.

He walked back to the Sheraton where he made the shock announcement, throwing everything into disarray. He told of his disillusionment with his party, of how during the week’s convention he had witnessed “the violation of truth and democracy,” the very cornerstone of a free democratic system. Other “pressure” areas causing Mr Pindling embarrassment, even from his own members, were in the field of immigration and the need to restore investor confidence. There was also the question of nationalisation of businesses — the casinos being the first to be targeted. The dissident PLPs were against nationalisation of any business and insisted that PM Pindling could not go down that road without going back to the people. The group was fighting a potential dictatorship.

The dissident PLPs decided to meet on Sunday evening, November 15, 1970 at Lewis Yard, Grand Bahama, to discuss their burning political issues.

Just as they had bowed their heads in prayer to open the meeting, a well organised goon squad, described as supporters of Mr Pindling, burst into the room wielding chairs. They beat those on the platform to the floor. They injured Mr Whitfield — who was told that they had come to kill him. Several others were injured. Tribune Freeport editor Bernard Murphy, who was reporting the scene, was badly beaten.

“This is the first time in my life I have ever been physically attacked for my ideals, ideology, philosophy or belief,” said Mr Whitfield as he held his bleeding head. “I have been heckled … I never thought this would ever happen in the Bahamas.”

But the most frightening aspect of the whole scene was that the Royal Bahamas Police Force –both uniformed and plainclothed — stood by, watched the violent scene, and did nothing.

This was the era to which Mr Mitchell referred when he compared the Bahamas — “then” and “now” — for Mr Izmirlian’s benefit. He probably hoped that Mr Izmirlian would appreciate that these were now “kindlier, gentler days.”