The Tribune

UNLIKE the United States where winning power at any price seems more important to many politicians than passing laws for the good of the nation, newly elected Opposition leader Dr Herbert Minnis has promised that under his leadership the FNM will “not oppose for the sake of opposing.”

“We will not oppose for the sake of opposing,” he said, “but in those times when our people cry out — we will be there to… ignite the future.”

He pointed out that Bahamians are “living in a time filled with uncertainty, a time of anxiety that the newly elected government will quickly go back to its old ways. Already, many of the same old faces are back in the same places where they proved to be unproductive and self-fulfilling,” he said.

“Our task as the Opposition will be to remain ever vigilant in holding this Government accountable; insisting on transparency and watching out for corruption.

“We will continue to promote equality and access to opportunity so that more of our people can achieve their goals and more greatly share in the wealth of our nation.”

In Singapore recently, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, son of Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, in a roundtable discussion, described the nature of parties in opposition. One, he said, is a party of constructive opposition, the other type pulls down the system in an effort to destroy – regardless of the consequences to the nation.

“The nature of democratic politics is adversarial,” he said “because politics is a tussle for power – you want to be in charge, want to have power because you want to do things – therefore, there is a clash.” Of course, he laughed, the opposition party that wants to help will be in opposition for a long time.

We don’t expect the FNM in opposition to oppose for the sake of opposing — as did the PLP — but we do expect them to give vigorous and constructive opposition, if only for the reason that already the new government is starting to backslide on some of its promises.

For the sake of the country, however, if they don’t backslide on some of their outlandish commitments the Bahamas will be taken to the brink of economic destruction. Despite what people, like Bradley Roberts, say, the majority of Bahamians are thankful that it was Hubert Ingraham – and not Perry Christie—who was at the helm of state when this country was going through what Dr Minnis has described as the “most severe global economic downturn.”

The FNM must be ever vigilant and give constructive, but vigorous opposition to prevent this country sliding backwards instead of continuing to move forward.

Crime is a curse that regardless of one’s politics, all law-abiding Bahamians want to join the fight to bring it under control.

Speaking as a doctor, Dr Minnis pointed that “crime is often like a cancer that has to be responded to aggressively – that is prevention, containment and cure, not allowing it to metastasize and damage other vital organs.”

He pointed out that the anti-crime bills passed by the FNM “increased sentences for certain crimes.”

He urged the Christie government “to carefully ponder the view of some on reducing certain sentences. Now is not the time to go soft on crime!”

This is where vigorous constructive opposition will be needed, because it is only the criminal who is complaining about the hefty sentences, others don’t have to complain because they are not walking down the path that leads to the prison cell.

The majority of Bahamians want a crime free country and if only heavy sentences will produce results then that is what they will support.