The Tribune

Richard Coulson welcomes the emergence of a new leader for The Bahamas and predicts a rapid political rise.

IT IS not yet recognised what a bombshell senior Queen’s Counsel and former Attorney General Alfred Sears has dropped with his message – “manifesto” is a better word – in The Tribune on Monday, which has profound implications for our immediate future, both politically and constitutionally.

Although not specifically saying so, he has clearly injected himself into the race to be our country’s next leader, and not simply as a struggling no-hope candidate but, in my opinion, as the head of the pack.

In his preamble, he embraces the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) as the party “best suited ... to place the Bahamas on a more sustainable economic path and foster a more socially cohesive society”. Clear, but what PLP?

It will not, thank goodness, be the one we have now. His detailed (a) through (j) agenda of nearly 50 points will revolutionise the way political business is done, with term restrictions for Prime Minister, removing many of his exclusive powers, shrinking the number of cabinet ministers hungry for power and salary, requiring reports to the public after every cabinet meeting, and creating an Integrity (yes!) Commission.

By actually mentioning nine young Bahamians “and many others” of both sexes with whom he has met and shared ideas “over the last five years”, he clearly hints that he is seeking new faces to replace the old guard and seek a new way forward. He can only do this if he becomes party leader able to influence who will run for constituency seats.

Is Mr Sears the man to accomplish this ambitious objective? All the omens seem to be in his favour. His reputation is unblemished by any whiff of shady behaviour. As Chairman of the College of The Bahamas Council, he enjoys the personal gravitas, intelligence and fluency necessary for any political chieftain. And who exists to thwart him? If Perry Christie were younger, he has the experience and following to do so, but even his friends are now urging him to stand down facing age and uncertain health after a long and distinguished career. One has the impression that he may have actually encouraged Mr Sears to make his move, to assure that the party will fall into good hands.

The other wannabe candidates for leadership are comparative pygmies who would implode as party leader: “Brave” Davis, the classic no.2 man, tainted with suspicion of cronyism; Fred Mitchell, the never-smiling Darth Vader consumed with xenophobia against any resident foreigners; Jerome Fitzgerald, the muscular enemy of sedition hob-goblins, whose students, with all their God-given abilities, still graduate often unemployable; Obie Wilchcombe, well-meaning but unable to improve the tourism product. No wonder Mr Christie has been reluctant to retire.

The contents of the manifesto, when read closely, reveal such strong features as recommending a study of proportional representation and fighting against foreign organisations like Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and US authorities “blacklisting” the Bahamas for alleged weak anti money-laundering regulations. I would have preferred an endorsement of a Freedom of Information Act but overall the manifesto provides an admirable structure on which to build future change. The legal community may debate the recommended abandonment of appeals to England’s Privy Council, but this move seems timely and well-warranted.

On human rights issues like the death penalty, prevailing sentiment in the UK is plainly out of step with Bahamian thinking. On commercial litigation, the appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice is now well designed to resolve disputes competently.

Mr Sears’ one questionable point is his blunt recommendation to “Remove the British Monarch as Head of State” to be replaced with a “Bahamian-born President”, presumably a ceremonial figure similar to our present Governor General, the monarch’s representative who would vanish since no longer needed. This sounds straightforward, but Bahamians would have to approve a basic constitutional amendment to Art. 32 removing the reference to “Her Majesty”.

Are the people that ready to get rid of Queen Elizabeth II and her heirs? Of course, her powers are purely ceremonial, presumably meaningless, but ceremony continues to have a grip on practical matters. What would happen to the royal titles that have been granted? Would Dame Marguerite revert to just Mrs Pindling? And the recently knighted Sir Franklyn Wilson have to change his new letterhead? And the Royal Bahamas Police and Royal Bahamas Defence Force have to change the labelling of all their many “royal” artifacts? What’s the logic of being called Queen’s Counsel when the Queen no longer has any authority here? Would the Governor General’s Youth Awards become simply the President’s Awards, and would members of the English royal family remain prominently involved?

Canada, a country renowned for its status as a modern, freedom-loving democracy, has remained loyally subject to the Queen as head of state – ceremonial of course, but still technically reigning. If Canada sees no need for change, why should The Bahamas?

With that exception, the Sears Manifesto seems well designed to attract the loyalty of the PLP rank-and-file, eager to embrace a “new deal”. He will enter the next party Convention already anointed as the candidate to oust the brilliant but mercurial Andre Rollins from Fort Charlotte. From that position, with even the slightest nod from Mr Christie, he will be able to control proceedings armed with his carefully prepared plans and cohorts of young supporters. The hundreds of party captains and stalwarts will fall in line and accept his preferences for constituency choices and even for shadow cabinet appointments.

The other aspirants for the top job will have to fold their tents and resign themselves to cabinet posts approved by Mr Sears, or simply accept positions as back-benchers – or even no-benchers.

With political domination of the PLP achieved, I venture to predict that Alfred Sears will lead the party to victory in the general selection. Whatever good qualities are held by Dr Minnis and Mrs Butler-Turner, of the Free National Movement, or Mr McCartney of the Democratic National Alliance, none had the statesmanlike imagination to create a comprehensive manifesto matching Mr Sears’ production. They may attempt to respond with competing “party platforms” but any such efforts will be seen simply as a game of catch-up, a leaky bucket that won’t carry water.

Mr Sears’ political rise will be as rapid and unexpected a change as that of Donald Trump in the United States. Fortunately, in The Bahamas the change will be beneficial, while in the US it will be catastrophic, evenif it leads only to the destruction of the hoary old ‘GOP’ rather than a reversal of national leadership.

• Richard Coulson is a retired lawyer and investment banker born in Nassau and from a long line of Bahamians. He is a financial consultant and author of A Corkscrew Life - adventures of a travelling financier.