The Tribune

EDITOR. The Tribune.

I see where Dr. Hubert Minnis is again talking about term limits for the Prime Minister. There are at least two problems with this.

First, in our system of government we do not directly elect a Prime Minister as is the case of voting for a President in the United States. Voters elect a party from which the Prime Minister is chosen.

Dr. Minnis does not appear to understand our system of cabinet government and parliamentary democracy. Instead of pandering to a certain view, Dr. Minnis needs to study and better understand our system, which has served other countries quite well, including those of the United Kingdom, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Australia and New Zealand, none of which have term limits on a Prime Minister.

Dr. Minnis previously stated in support of a term limit for the Prime Minister:

“This has always been my position simply because everyone reaches a certain level when they would be maxed out, suffer from brain drain and become stagnant.”

This is yet another major flip-flop by him. This has not always been his position. He supported the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham for a first, second, third, and most recently in 2012, a fourth term.

Many Bahamians and FNMs are pleased with the great work the FNM did in Mr. Ingraham’s third term, including the prescription drug benefit, the Critical Care Block at PMH, the new LPIA, and so many other accomplishments.

Dr. Minnis has previously said that he would push legislation for such a term limit. Does he realize that this would require a constitutional amendment?

Some people may be in office for many years and function well. Then there are some, who, even before assuming higher office already suffer from “brain drain” and are already “maxed out” and “stagnant” in terms of their potential.

Dr. Minnis now says there should be a recall system for MPs. First, he must tell Bahamians exactly how this would work. Again, such recall systems are mostly seen at the state level in the US, not in parliamentary democracies such as ours. One would expect the Leader of the Opposition to better understand our system. There is no recall system for US Senators and Members of the House of Representatives.

Again, Dr. Minnis has shown a tremendous ignorance of our system. MPs serve as a part of the Government of the day or the Opposition. One would have to recall an entire party, not a single representative.

We are a small country. There are already ways to deal with poorly functioning MPs, and to get things done in a constituency if an MP appears to be non-functioning.

If Dr. Minnis has shown this level of ignorance of our system as Leader of the Opposition one can only imagine the ongoing problems if he ever somehow reached as far as Prime Minister.

M. H.

Nassau,

October 27, 2014.