The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Almost no Bahamian ever saw Dr Hubert A Minnis (FNM-Killarney) as prime ministerial material before the former second greatest and effective Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Hubert A Ingraham suddenly resigned as a member of parliament following the debacle of the FNM’s staggering electoral defeat in 2012. That was in my considered view a bad decision.

The rump of the FNM had little choice but to select Minnis as alternative leader as there were no other seasoned acceptable MPs for that party. Hence the FNM was saddled with Minnis and, of course, when the electorate kicked out Christie and the old PLP in 2017, as was inevitable, he became Prime Minister unexpectedly. He was not prepared to nor did he expect to govern and it is showing big time.

Most politicians are like a deadly disease. You see the symptoms but cannot quite get a grip on a diagnosis. The Bahamian people bestowed a tremendous amount of good will on Minnis and crew in 2017.

Excitement and expectations were dangerously high on the part of the unwashed masses. Electoral promises made were not kept. With the political clock ticking, it is highly unlikely that any of the planks in the FNMs 2017 manifesto will materialise anytime soon.

Minnis, unfortunately, is not a good politician in my view. Yes, he appears sincere but his performance is another thing entirely. I suggest that he will at a somber and convenient point be jettison by the FNM and the upstarts without delicacy or mercy.

The road to this inevitable scenario started when Minnis declared, like a fake Olympian demi-god, that the Ingraham era was over. His declaration caught many FNMs and Ingrahamities by surprise and came across as ungrateful.

Now a year or less to go before the next scheduled general elections, Minnis, in my opinion, is on the ropes and badly staggering. There are numerous self-inflicted facial cuts and his political legs are dead wobbly. He is squinting and nearly blinded by the pouring blood; sweat and copious tears. Who will deliver the knock-out punch and bring this painful and debilitating chapter in The Bahamian saga to a merciful end?

Many are surprised that Minnis lasted so long as PM with the number of political sharks who surround him. A dark winter season appears to be on the horizon for that party. Sir Cecil must be turning over in his grave. What are the alternatives?

The erstwhile and indomitably unquestioned leader of the New Deal PLP is the Hon. Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, QC, MP (PLP-Cat Island; Rum Cay & San Salvador) There are no challengers to his stellar leadership. Yes, some are saying that this one and that one will seek to overthrow him, but hell will freeze over at least a thousand times before that happens. Brave, God willing, will lead the New Deal PLP into the general elections, this will be his first time doing so as paramount leader. Will the first time be a charm?

The road for the New Deal PLP to emerge victorious is within the New Providence based constituencies. Garner sixteen seats here in the capital and six in the Family Islands and Brave could order his scissors tailed suit. The arrival of a new political dispensation would be at hand.

Who and what is Brave? He and I go back eons it seems. A quiet man not given to bombastic and stupid talk, Brave is a determined; focused and visionary individual. A family man and a fiercely loyal ally and friend. Brave’s commitment and words are never able to be successfully challenged. He is an enigma to some, but I see him as that Joshua we have long looked for and expected.

We have had the original Moses in the form of a hybrid of the late Sir Pindling and Sir Cecil. Brother Ingraham was the second wave of the cult of Moses and he did a damned good job at imitating them. Brother Christie, alas, with all due respect, was more of a song and dance man. He came, he saw and he danced, but that was it. He had to go along with several others in leadership at that time.

Why and how do you think that Brave emerged as de jure and de facto leader of the New Deal PLP? This was nothing short of an act of God Himself, in my view. In order for this to have happened several things had to be orchestrated. Christie had to go. Minnis had to be elected as interim Prime Minister to pave the path for our Joshua.

The gilded era of Ingraham, according to some ingratiates may well be over, but the Davis era and golden years are just across the bar. The weeping is coming to an inevitable end and the best days of this wonderful nation are yet ahead of us. To God then, Who sets up; breaks down and removes kingdoms and principalities, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H BODIE Jr

Nassau,

January 18, 2021.