The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I read Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) radio personality Ortland Bodie’s Nassau Guardian opinion piece on Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Michael Pintard and it dawned on me how utterly subjective the media in The Bahamas is regarding politics.

Since the PLP’s ascent to power last September, a slew of journalists and radio personalities, such as Clint Watson, Nahaja Black, Rodney Moncur and Bodie, to list a few, have been engaged by the state. Prior to September, all of the aforementioned wore their politics on their sleeve. In my personal opinion, I don’t believe that Bodie, Moncur and Black are bona-fide PLPs. The three were either FNMs or, at the very least, sympathetic to the party. Sensing the mood of the nation towards former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, the three made the opportunistic decision to hitch their wagons onto the PLP.

I am not surprised that Bodie continues to pile it on the FNM. I take issue with his characterisation of Pintard’s criticism of the Davis administration as “boorish and premature.” To the contrary, the Marco City MP has been very strategic, articulate, informed and civil in engaging the PLP government. Pintard has made it a point to steer the FNM away from gutter politics -- an unfortunate strategy that benefitted the party in 2017, when prominent political personalities were routinely defamed on social media. That strategy had backfired on the party in 2021. As Her Majesty’s Official Opposition, Pintard is exercising his Constitutional rights in holding the government’s feet to the fire. Bodie talks as if he wants Pintard to hold hands with PLP executives and sing kumbaya while the country goes to Hell in a hand-basket.

And contrary to his laughable claim that Pintard is not a leader, Bodie needs to talk to the swing voters and PLPs in Marco City for an unbiased assessment of their MP’s leadership qualities, which were sorely tested in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. That Pintard would win re-election in Marco City -- a feat not accomplished since 1997 with FNM David Thompson, is a testament of his hard work and leadership. Winning a re-election in either Pineridge or Marco City is a gargantuan challenge for any politician, whether PLP or FNM. On the other hand, Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis does not face such a massive hurdle in Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, with all due respect. And neither did former Prime Minister Perry Christie in Farm Road. As for Bodie’s inability to see how Pintard can “propel the party back to power anytime soon,” history does not side with him. As Bodie well knows, no incumbent has won a re-election since 1997 -- 25 years ago. The days of a party winning six consecutive elections, which the PLP did under Sir Lynden O Pindling, are in the past.

And we must bear in mind that while the PLP gained 32 seats in September, only 124,414 or 64 percent of the 194,494 registered voters voted. And of the 124,414 who voted, the PLP gained 66,407 or 52.53 percent of the votes. When you add the vote totals of the oppositions and independents combined, coupled with the 70,080 who didn’t vote, including yours truly, a staggering 130,087 registered voters did not support the PLP. In reality, the 32 seats that the PLP captured are misleading, when you comb through the election numbers. For all intents and purposes, the PLP is really a minority government in every sense of the word. The overwhelming majority of Bahamians don’t support the governing party.

Reading Bodie, however, an uninformed person wouldn’t come to this conclusion. And as I’ve stated in the past, history is not on the side of Bodie in his belief that the PLP will win in 2026. In each election cycle dating back to 2002, the Bahamian people have opted to vote out the incumbent.

What Bodie wrote about Pintard was also said about both Davis and Christie before they became prime ministers. In the event Pintard makes it to 2026 as FNM leader, and I see no reason why he won’t, he will become the next prime minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Pintard does not need any unsolicited advice or lecture from Bodie.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport, Grand Bahama.

August 23, 2022.