The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

It is relatively clear that politicians think that in order to become prime minister, one only has to remain leader of the Opposition long enough for a real or contrived scandal to hit the governing party.

Just like clock work, they hope, the pendulum will swing and the other party will be elected.

After all, that’s how we got our current PM. It is this phenomenon that causes some who would do their party (and the nation) a service by stepping aside to make way for “new blood” to desperately cling to power within their parties. For obvious reasons, it is unwise to select a leader in such a fashion.

If nothing else, the past two years should have shown Bahamians that we actually need leaders with problem solving skills, who care about the people of this country and are able to rise to the challenges that come with the job. In my opinion, those attributes are not exemplified in any leader of a political party in this country at this time.

We have seen all manner of persons either jostling for or trying to consolidate power, seemingly for powers sake, while their token contributions to national life are unimpressive at best.

As politicians begin running ads in an effort to influence the deeply ingrained perceptions the general public may have formed about them after years of observation, one gets the feeling that an impending election is around the corner. These disingenuous political ads reveal the Achilles heel each party leader knows they have and this makes the ads that much more distasteful.

As an independent voter, I have already made up my mind that several categories of persons cannot get my vote.

I refuse to vote for any politician who may have been in office at least one term, was booted by the electorate and is seeking re-election.

If a constituency did not seek to retain the former office holder, what new skills do they have to offer now that they did not have before? I am tired of people who have no shame and believe they have earned the right to keep on running!

I will not vote for bloviating career politicians who seem to find their identity in holding political office and who, like barnacles on a ship, impede progress, are just along for the ride and add nothing substantive to their constituencies or national life.

I cannot vote for a politician who has demonstrated that they lack problem solving and organisational skills which are critical for those assuming leadership positions.

The days of just presenting any “Johnny come lately” or calling failure success is not enough to get my vote, sorry!

I will not vote for any politician who had all the answers to every problem that assailed the nation while they were in the opposition, but then failed to deliver tangible results while in office. To re-elect such a person is to do the nation a disservice.

While this list is not complete, this summary serves the purpose of showing that we cannot allow emotions to make decisions in what will be a crucial election.

The days of electing smooth talking, nonproductive politicians must be put behind us.

We need new leadership to help recover ground lost over the past two years specifically and four decades generally.

It also shows that if I could have my way, most of the offerings of the PLP would be rejected and the MPs for Killarney, South Beach, Freetown, Mt Moriah, Marathon, Elizabeth and Bamboo Town, at a minimum would have to seek jobs in the private sector.

The Opposition would in all likelihood have to seek a new leader, they would have a more robust voice in the House and democracy would be strengthened.

A new leader has to be forced to emerge within the FNM by the choices of the electorate, maybe the shift in political dynamics can cause someone to rise to the occasion and only then will the curse of being burdened with a “pendulum” leader be broken!

JB

Nassau,

March 7, 2021.