The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) was decimated during the general elections last month. No one, inclusive of me, could have predicted such a landslide wipeout. Yes, there were some, like me, who had a gut feeling that the hated former Prime Minister would have led us PLPs straight down the garden path. There are many reasons for the debacle, but there is no more compelling excuse than the unpopularity of PGC and the overt evidence of corruption by many within the Gold Rush Administration.

We are now led by the Hon Philip “Brave” Davis (PLP-Cat Island) who managed to retain his constituency. Save and except for three other seats the PLP has now been reduced to a rump opposition. I am not impressed with the senate picks made by Brave.

There was nothing bold or new about at least two of the appointments in the form of politically challenged individuals. Messrs Darville and Mitchell are spent forces and it is doubtful that either of them will ever be elected again in this life time. What more are they able to bring to the table or to assist in the rebuilding and rebranding of the vanquished PLP? Absolutely nothing that is quantifiable.

I really could care less about PGC as he did not appear, in the last year of his reign, to give a rat’s foot about the unwashed masses here in New Providence and the rest of The Bahamas. In fact, he gave us the ‘bird’ while a rocket scientist cum Queen’s Counsel slapped his voluminous buttocks and crowed: “When they go low, we go lower”.... so was it done and said unto them who demonstrated contempt for the electorate.

Christie will receive his pension for the rest of his natural life. After his demise, if his wife were to outlive him, she will collect half of that for the rest of her life. The rest of you PLPs will have to continue to eke out a miserable living.

The dreams of tens of thousands of Bahamians who supported the PLP and hitched their economic and career paths on the sustainability of the PLP were shattered by the outcome of the general elections. The bulk of the rejected PLP candidates all declared that they were millionaires with assorted business interests. It is not likely that any of them will hurt from a financial point of view. Truly, they believed in themselves as opposed to unwashed Bahamians.

“Brave” has his work cut out for him but I fear that the task will be almost insurmountable, if not impossible. He has to move swiftly to shape the PLP into what he considers to be a fighting machine. He has never been liked by the elites in the PLP. They see him as being too short; too black and, for sure, too confident of himself. Already, despite being almost wiped out, there are factions within the PLP who are plotting to wrest the helm of the party from him. This does not bode well for the way forward. To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H. BODIE JR.

Nassau,

June 4, 2017.