The Tribune

ON THIS page today is a letter from Mr Kevin Evans, a frequent letter writer to The Tribune, and from the beginning a loyal supporter of Dr Hubert Minnis as FNM leader.

Mr Evans writes on many subjects, but he certainly knows his way around the political corridors. His letters are not only well written, but his arguments are cogent.

However, today we take issue with his view that Mrs Loretta Butler-Turner “holds the key to healing the rift within the FNM”.

If in fact the rift was created by Mrs Butler-Turner, the only way that she can heal it is to throw away her political keys and disappear from the scene. We say this because every time she rises to her feet in a political argument — especially in the House of Assembly — she outshines her leader in both argument, presentation and conviction. She is a born politician who can think quickly on her feet and is effective at verbal repartee. Not so Dr Minnis. Is she to be blamed because she outshines him?

And so as an outsider looking in — obviously without as much working knowledge of the FNM as Mr Evans — the only “attack dogs” that we see to be called off are those unwittingly unleashed by Dr Minnis himself. These “attack dogs” are called “Political Ineptitude.”

The first “dog” was unleashed when, on being annointed Mr Ingraham’s successor, the Minnis dog barked: “The age of Ingraham is over!” Regardless of Dr Minnis’ feelings, an astute politician would have never made such a crass mistake. Mr Ingraham had served his party and country well and, although undefeated at the polls, had resigned from politics after being prime minister for ten years. As a politician, he had served his country for 35 years, first as a PLP parliamentarian, and then as leader of the FNM. He was a successful leader and did much for the country. Obviously Dr Minnis had suffered in his shadow.

The moment that declaration was uttered, the FNM’s unity cord started to fray. Dr Minnis had mortally wounded himself — it had nothing to do with Mrs Butler- Turner. We admit that that was the day that we sat up for the first time to take note. However, we decided to remain silent hoping that the new leader would realise his error, pick up the pace and silence his untamed “dog”.

We are not aware of what was going on behind the scenes in the FNM, but the next blimp across the political screen was Dr Minnis’ request for Mrs Heather Hunt to resign her Senate seat to which he had appointed her. He explained it away by saying that his plan was to reappoint Senate seats every two and a half years to give more persons a shot at the job. However, the report was that he had really wanted to sideline Mrs Hunt because of her alleged support of Mrs Butler-Turner as leader in the leadership contest.

Credence was added to this suggestion when Dr Minnis failed to call for the resignation of Kwasi Thompson, who had by then also exceeded Leader Minnis’ two-and-a-half year service rule. Heather Hunt was asked to resign. Kwasi Thompson was not. Whose “attack dog” had stumbled this time? It certainly was not a clumsy play by Mrs Butler-Turner. Even a chess player anticipates the next move before he plays his first. However, it would seem that Dr Minnis does not think far enough ahead to avoid the consequences of a wrong move. And so, he keeps stumbling.

And, of course, his appointment of Mrs Lanisha Rolle as Mrs Hunt’s replacement was a mistake that Dr Minnis will probably live to regret. We shan’t go into details here, because it is of such recent vintage that it would be difficult for our readers to forget. The fact that Dr Minnis at first supported Mrs Rolle and then made excuses for her uncalled for public attack against five senior FNM parliamentarians, including Mrs. Butler-Turner, can’t be blamed on any “attack dog” that Mrs Butler-Turner might have unleased. Mrs Rolle has still refused to make a public apology. This again was Dr Minnis’ untrained dogs out of their kennels. And with each attack his own dogs — not Mrs Butler-Turner’s — were upsetting the FNM applecart.

And then there was the crossing of the House floor by two PLP discontents. Dr Minnis welcomed them with open arms, declaring that no incentives were offered to them to join the FNM. However, about a week later, he put on his politically blind eye glasses and appointed them to key positions over long-standing FNM members. Despite Dr Minnis’ denial, his friend Kevin Evans is more straightforward. “While Minnis continues to face vituperative criticism for embracing the amalgamation of Wells and Rollins to the FNM, if truth be told, he had to establish a bulwark against his foes, otherwise they would have made mincemeat of him. ” (See Mr Evans’ letter on this page). It appears that the PLP’s methods of double-dealing and attempts to fool the public are now at work within the FNM.

However, the final unwinding of party unity came when an outsider — former FNM Minister Tennyson Wells – labelled long time FNM member Richard Lightbourn a racist because he did not agree with Dr Minnis’ proposal for tax free benefits to promote businesses Over-the-Hill. It was claimed that Mr Lightbourn was racist because he preferred to give tax breaks to the “Bay Street Boys”.

Those making such claims are so blinkered with racial prejudice that they don’t understand the difference between the two groups. Bay Street businessmen have businesses that would benefit from tax breaks. However, most Over-the-hill residents can’t pay their light bills and need far more basic help than tax breaks for businesses that they can’t even afford to dream about. Seems Mr Lightbourn is being a practical businessman who better understands the plight of the people and wants to help them, while the others are playing politics and shouting “racism”.

And so, Mr Evans, we do not agree that Mrs Butler Turner is holding the key to healing the rift within the FNM. Those keys are in Dr Minnis’ pocket. His tragedy is that he doesn’t know how to use them. And so it is not Mrs Butler-Turner who is undermining Dr Minnis. He, through lack of political experience, is undermining himself. His own untrained attack dogs are the ones who have to be put back in their kennels.

For this reason, a convention is urgent. And if Dr Minnis is so sure of himself as a politician he should not be afraid to confirm his position by putting it to a vote.

It is now time for patriotic Bahamians to put good of country before good of selves.