The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell is routinely mentioned as one of three possible successors of Prime Minister Perry Christie, once the latter finally demits office as PLP leader.

Responding to queries posed to him by members of the press some weeks back concerning a potential run for the PLP leadership post, Mitchell gave a somewhat evasive, indefinite response by alluding to the late Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams victimising one Karl Hudson-Philips after the latter declared his intentions of replacing Williams after his proposed retirement plans from active politics were scrapped.

The Bahamian public was left to read between the lines. However, it is no secret that Mitchell wants to be prime minister. But as a shrewd PLP politician, he wants to play his cards safe.

He cannot risk annoying Christie, whom many now suspect plans on running again in 2017. Mitchell has tactfully positioned himself as a rabid, staunch defender of Christie, who takes umbrage at any criticism, no matter how minor, levelled against his leader. Him jockeying in position to show Christie his unwavering support leads me to believe that he badly covets Christie’s blessing as his successor. I have nothing personal against Mitchell. But as a Bahamian citizen, I do not want him to succeed Christie. Mitchell, in my opinion, does not possess the patience to be the leader of The Bahamas. He has on multiple occasions lashed out at those whom he deemed to be his political adversaries.

In recent times, Mitchell has thrice uttered inflammatory statements concerning Baha Mar CEO Sarkis Izmirlian – a permanent resident who has invested billions into the local economy and has over 2,400 Bahamians in his employment. When one of his anti-Izmirlian statements were called out by former Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette, Mitchell responded in typical fashion by saying that the day he takes advice from Symonette will be the day pigs grow wings and fly. Mitchell said the same thing in another inflammatory response to the FNM shadow minister of foreign affairs Hubert Chipman in 2014. Mitchell has also publicly scolded former Cabinet Minister Dion Foulkes and the late Dr Myles Munroe. Suppose, just suppose Mitchell, as prime minister, issues an inflammatory response to the US State Department, after the latter issued a travel advisory to its citizens about the menacing crime crisis in The Bahamas, particularly Nassau. Suppose Prime Minister Mitchell publicly scolds a sitting US president at a United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York for blacklisting The Bahamas. Suppose Mitchell tells a US secretary of state that the day he takes advice from him and the White House will be the day pigs grow wings and fly.

Such a combative posture would be detrimental to the economic well-being of The Bahamas, seeing that we rely so heavily on the US.

A US could easily destroy our economy by placing heavy restrictions on American tourists who want to travel here to vacation. A leader must remain poised, calm and patient. He must be civil. All things being considered, Mitchell has not shown me that he can be any of the above once his patience has been pushed to the limit.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport, GB,

August 5, 2015.