The Tribune

THE candidate selection process for the upcoming by-election in West Grand Bahama and Bimini has thrown up signs of division within the PLP.

The candidacy of Shane Gibson, in particular, has seen him clash with party chairman Fred Mitchell and then be rejected by the selection process in favour of the chief passport officer, Kingsley Smith.

The big question now is, what next for Mr Gibson?

In some ways, the by-election is almost a sideshow now compared to the possibility of ructions within the party.

There were chants of “Fred gatta go” as Mr Gibson’s candidacy came to an end – could Mr Gibson potentially line up a challenge to Mr Mitchell at the upcoming PLP convention?

Would Mr Gibson perhaps even go so far as to consider an independent run at the vacant Parliamentary seat?

Those may be the prospects for him on a personal level – but what it shows for the party itself is a sense that not all are pulling in the same direction.

It’s not for nothing that Mr Gibson styled Mr Mitchell as someone who didn’t work like he did but instead hopped on planes and enjoyed tea and coffee and cigars.

Mr Gibson called himself the people’s choice – and it is at the grassroots level of the PLP that there perhaps is something of a disconnect from the party elite.

In simple terms, that can mean whether or not people are getting contracts and getting money.

For those who might be two years in to the new administration and perhaps are not getting the projects to work on that they hoped, there may be a frustration starting to settle in.

`The financial limitations brought about by the COVID pandemic have been much talked about, but now we are seeing a boom in tourism, and the government is quick to boast of the country’s economic health. Just last week, the new app used for arrivals at Lynden Pindling International Airport, for example, was credited with a 90 percent increase in revenue – no word of a cut in import duties to balance out, however.

So for all the talk of good times, if there are people who are not feeling it, it is perhaps no surprise that some are becoming unsettled, and Mr Gibson, in proclaiming himself the people’s choice, is giving them a figurehead to rally behind.

All of this of course will have been simmering under the surface. The unexpected by-election has merely given it a chance to come to the fore.

Even if no such challenges emerge from Mr Gibson – though given the personal nature of the attacks back and forth it seems unlikely that peace will break out immediately – it is an indicator to the current administration that it cannot rest comfortably.

In mentioning the pandemic above, we should take a moment to enjoy the pleasures that have returned to our daily life.

The international food fest was held at Fort Charlotte at the weekend, with crowds flocking to try food and drink from around the world – a real coming together of different parts of Bahamian society.

There was the youth march this weekend too, with young people gathering to show their beliefs.

Churches were busy yesterday, and pre-Halloween parties were busy on Saturday.

It is sometimes worth remembering how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy such parts of our life. The pandemic reminded us that it is a privilege indeed to have such opportunities – and we should truly be thankful.