The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

Well, mudda sic! I almost choked on my oatmeal this morning when I read Fred Mitchell’s advice to party followers as they went into convention to vote for their party’s leaders last week.

“Candidates for office in the PLP,” Mr Mitchell told party members, “should avoid making public comments which may have the effect of bringing the business of an internal party campaign into the public domain to the detriment of the PLP and bring party members falsely into disrepute.”

Continued Mr Mitchell: “All candidates are reminded that they are to act with decorum. It is inappropriate to lead public attacks on other party members. It does not meet that standard of good conduct. Candidates for office in the PLP where they believe they must speak publicly about their candidacy should speak the truth and avoid slanderous and salacious comments. Out of an abundance of caution, it is probably appropriate to avoid discussing party business in public.”

Thirty-six years ago this same Fred Mitchell, surrounded by a handful of party faithful, met under the large fig tree in parliament square just opposite the courts, burned the Bahamas Constitution and sent its ashes to then Prime Minister Lynden Pindling!

The words of warning at that time from Youth for Christ Leader Stunce Williams should still ring in Mr Mitchell’s ears.

The reverend gentleman told Mr Mitchell: “I am afraid that if you lead young people into burning a flag and burning a Constitution, if you are not careful those same young people one day will burn a country.

“I want to say to Mr Mitchell that if one day he did become the prime minister of this country, I am afraid that burning a copy of the Constitution may one day come out of the grave to haunt him.”

Maybe this is why Mr Mitchell never realised his life’s dream to become this country’s prime minister — he awakened too late to reality!

A VOICE FROM THE PAST

Nassau

July 26, 2019