The Tribune

BY THIS time next week, the outcome of the general election will be known and the die will be cast. Either this country will be condemned to five more years of the same old tired and corrupt politicians of a flawed Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government or we shall be embarking on a different and hopeful path with new political faces leading us perhaps to a better, less corrupt, more honest and more prosperous future.

In the run-up to this election, we have regularly examined the achievements and the failings of the current government, and we have concluded that the former have been substantially overshadowed by the latter. Many other people, who have suffered in various ways from the actions of a delinquent PLP during the last few years, also recognise the depressing reality that this has been, arguably, the worst government since Independence in 1973.

It beggars belief, therefore, that any voters should fall for the PLP’s supposedly new blandishments and promises which are really a rehash of those made at the 2012 election but which have never been fulfilled. So, in a well ordered and rational society, a majority would surely say that the time has come to give the opposition Free National Movement (FNM) a chance to show that it can do a better job of governing as well as to curtail, if not banish, the corruption at the official level which is progressively ruining our country.

An FNM government will be untried and untested, but it is now the less bad option.

Unfortunately, it can never be as simple as that because of the traditional tribal politics which have bedevilled this nation for too long. After nearly 45 years of running our own affairs, we should surely have matured sufficiently to put aside outdated conventional loyalties. Old-fashioned and timeworn political labels should no longer apply, since the PLP is not the sole party to protect the interests of the man in the street and the FNM, with a slogan of ‘It’s The People’s Time’ and with a leader from a poor background, equally purports to speak for everyone. Moreover, it is also patently absurd to claim, after all these years, that the FNM somehow favours or represents the descendants of the former white minority United Bahamian Party.

This time, the importance of stamping out corruption is top of the agenda. We therefore urge voters again to examine the credentials, honesty and overall integrity of individual candidates and their likely effectiveness in governing irrespective of their party affiliation. Our earlier pleas for opposition unity have fallen largely on deaf ears and the minority Democratic National Alliance (DNA) party is fielding many of its own candidates. So each individual vote is even more significant given that the DNA, which cannot by itself win the election, split the vote last time.

As a member of the fourth estate, this newspaper’s role in relation to domestic politics is to help to keep a check on the abuse of power by politicians, to expose their wrongdoing and to curb their excesses. But it has given us little satisfaction to have identified and exposed to the public not only the dishonesty and corruption of this PLP government over the course of the last five years but also the maladministration and sheer incompetence it has displayed. The drama of the dump fire and the fiasco last week in Exuma (for which the Ministry of Tourism must surely bear a measure of responsibility) are just two of the most recent examples. But the poor and dishonest management of the economy, resulting in junk investment status and an unprecedentedly high level of debt and ratio of debt-to-GDP, despite receipt of huge VAT sums since the beginning of 2015, ought alone to be a killer blow to the prospects of any government seeking to be re-elected.

However, despite widespread public dissatisfaction with poor governance, it may be the well documented scandals and corruption - including now accusations of bribery associated with mass Defence Force and Police promotions a week before the election - which will eventually lead to the PLP’s undoing.

Perhaps the most alarming aspect of the latest furore affecting two Cabinet ministers, one of whom was forced out of office in the last PLP administration for gross misconduct, is the irresponsible refusal by those placed in positions of power to distinguish between right and wrong. Their recourse to subjective interpretation of facts is dangerous and unacceptable. It is clear that solicitation of business by a Cabinet minister, irrespective of whether this results in the award of a contract, contravenes the ministerial code of conduct. But those caught up in scandals know that they will not have to face the consequences of wrongful action because a weak Prime Minister refuses to assert any control.

Thus, such matters are simply brushed aside and the moral fibre of the nation is damaged since, if political leaders are seen to be able to break conventions and the law with impunity, others will follow their example.

When the PLP took office in 2012, Perry Christie had a wonderful opportunity to make a fresh start with good governance and accountability. Sadly, he bungled it. He and his errant colleagues must not be allowed to inflict further damage on the rest of us, so it is time for the FNM to show its paces. If it fails to deliver on its promises or resorts to corrupt practices, we shall hold a new government to account as vigorously as ever. But, for the sake of the country’s future, the FNM must now be given its chance.