EDITOR, TheTribune.
Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis is currently embroiled in the greatest battle of his political career with Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts, and to a limited degree with The Nassau Guardian over allegations that he benefited from a lease agreement with the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) while serving in the last Ingraham Cabinet as health minister.
While the latter has not been as vociferous as Roberts, its editorials and columns have chronically questioned his performance as Opposition leader. The publication has taken issue with Minnis for not being adept at political nomenclature and for not inspiring the Bahamian masses. Granted, he has not been able to galvanise the FNM, due in large part to the intramural fights within the party.
For what it’s worth, Minnis in the eyes of many, has become a lightning rod and a polarising figure within the FNM. To his credit, he has kept the FNM together after its devastating defeat in the 2012 general election, while many of its seasoned former parliamentarians have either gone into semi or full retirement from active politics. Compounding matters for Minnis are the dissenting voices within the FNM that are constantly agitating for a convention in order to oust him from his leadership post.
Roberts’ call for Minnis’ resignation comes as no surprise. Minnis should stay put. In this writer’s opinion, he has given a satisfactory and logical explanation behind the so-called conflict of interest matter with the PHA and Leechez Investments on numerous occasions. He has been extremely transparent on the matter. If there is any transgression on his part, it is miniscule when compared to those of other politicians who have amassed fortunes through their political connections and rich benefactors. Bahamians know exactly who these unscrupulous politicians are and have forgiven them on many occasions by voting them into the House of Assembly time and again.
This one issue should be overlooked by the Bahamian people who have grown fatigued of the Perry Christie administration for one important reason: Minnis is the only politician today that has a realistic chance of defeating the Prime Minister.
If Minnis were to stand down as FNM leader at this late juncture, such a move would most certainly destabilise the party and would pave the way for another PLP victory in 2017. What other options do the FNM have? Loretta Butler-Turner? Hubert Ingraham? John Bostwick? Brent Symonette? Minnis being forced out as leader at this juncture would cause a deep schism within the FNM party.
The 2017 election will be a walkover for the FNM with Minnis at the helm due to the electorate’s deep dissatisfaction with the PLP. While some would call it a victory by default, it will be a victory nonetheless. The calls for Minnis’ resignation by his detractors is born out of fear of him going against an unpopular Perry Christie in 2017. He should stay put as FNM leader.
KEVIN EVANS
Freeport,
August 23, 2015.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 8 years, 7 months ago
All I can say about this letter is one word....
Wrong......
banker 8 years, 7 months ago
If you are truly a proud and loud fnm, and wish the best for the party and the country, you should be concerned with a meritocracy. In terms of running a major business, Minnis knows his stuff. He is a lousy politician, but we don't need anymore politicians. We need leaders that can fix the country, and Minnis has the best skill set for that.
proudloudandfnm 8 years, 7 months ago
How can you say that? He has failed miserably as leader of the opposition. Going off just that performance alone says he'd make a lousy PM....
True FNMs want a real leader. FNM sheep want Minnis....
The man has a lousy performance record...
proudloudandfnm 8 years, 7 months ago
And Kevin is wrong. Minnis has not kept the party together. The FNM is deeply divided....
Everything is pointing to getting rid of Minnis. Time to act on that....
banker 8 years, 7 months ago
I suspect that if there is a deep division in the FNM party, it is between the enlightened ones and the rest. The unenlightened ones want someone with a sword and a trumpet. The enlightened ones recognise the facets of leadership:
"Leadership is a holistic spectrum that can arise from: (1) higher levels of physical power, need to display power and control others, force superiority, ability to generate fear, or group-member's need for a powerful group protector (Primal Leadership), (2) superior mental energies, superior motivational forces, perceivable in communication and behaviors, lack of fear, courage, determination (Psychoenergetic Leadership), (3) higher abilities in managing the overall picture (Macro-Leadership), (4) higher abilities in specialized tasks (Micro-Leadership), (5) higher ability in managing the execution of a task (Project Leadership), and (6) higher level of values, wisdom, and spirituality (Spiritual Leadership), where any Leader derives its Leadership from a unique mix of one or more of the former factors".
The PLP have leadership figured out -- obviously the FNM doesn't. Once a leader is elected, you get behind the leader and you follow. The PLP does this perfectly. Christie is a corrupt, brainless, puppet who is cognitively impaired and criticism of his leadership is muted, and only implied -- except for the dissidents that have broken -- like Rollins. That's because they have a network of punishers. The FNM, being the democratic party that it is, doesn't punish dissent. They don't personally villify those dissenters like you. The FNM realises that only a fool likes to hear the sound of his own voice or the voice of the party line. Minnis has enough of a cognitive toolkit to fix the country -- or at least he is the best there is because of his knowledge of economic processes gleaned from business.
The real test of a leader is not when he doesn't have power, but when he dons the mantle of power. The last thing that the FNM needs, is another brainless Christie copycat or someone who doesn't understand higher principles of governance, economics and business. It's time for the government of the country to get down to business, and the business of saving it through prudent business, fiscal, monetary, and justice policies.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 7 months ago
Perry Christie will certainly be the happiest Bahamian going into the next general election if Minnis remains leader of the FNM. Minnis is no better than Maynard-Gibson when it comes to his "all for me baby" attitude and dishonesty! One can't begin to imagine all of the conflicts of interest the warped mind of Minnis would allow himself and his cronies to get into in order to line their pockets at the expense of honest hardworking Bahamians! With Minnis at its helm, the FNM throws away any opportunity it may have had to regain a majority of seats in the House of Assembly - it's really that simple
sheeprunner12 8 years, 7 months ago
We need the FNM pundits once and for all to put a viable 40-45 candidate team on the table this Fall so the country can have a real alternative to the PLP ........... stop the bickering and get down to the street level and start campaigning ........... where is the Chairman and the party machinery on this?????????????
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