FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis speaking during Friday’s protest in Rawson Square.
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By SANCHESKA DORSETT
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
OPPOSITION Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said last Friday’s “We March Bahamas” protest has “opened” his eyes and he is now a “different, changed” leader.
In an interview with The Tribune, Dr Minnis said the people want a new type of leader “who will listen to them and take action”.
He said this is the “people’s time” and vowed that if elected prime minister during the upcoming election, he “will follow the instructions of the people.”
The Killarney MP also chastised Prime Minister Perry Christie for failing to show up at the march and attempting to “arrange a secret meeting” with its organisers.
On Friday, hundreds of Bahamians took to the streets to protest against the government for its ineffective management of the country’s affairs.
Promoted as a silent protest, the event began at Arawak Cay at 1pm, with one estimate of up to 1,000 gathering at the meeting point.
Dressed all in black, protesters faithfully marched from Arawak Cay to Rawson Square without incident, occasionally singing the Bahamian national anthem and chanting things like “the power of the people is better than the people in power”.
Many of the protestors occupied Rawson Square until 1am Saturday.
“The people are frustrated and the people are tired,” Dr Minnis said yesterday.
“The march was not just against the Progressive Liberal Party it was against the government as a whole and against politicians. They were saying ‘this is what we want, listen to us, enough is enough.’ They want a new type of (politician) and want the same old way to stop.
“I will be a different type of leader, the protest opened my eyes. I will listen to my employer and do what is right for the Bahamian people. This is the people’s time and I will listen to what they have to say.”
Dr Minnis said he does not blame protest organiser Ranard Henfield for not wanting to meet with Mr Christie. Last Tuesday, Mr Henfield issued a list of 23 non-partisan demands to Mr Christie and several other government ministers.
Mr Christie, in a five-page statement on Thursday, said he was “painfully” aware that the country has suffered tremendous setbacks and invited the group to meet. However, on Friday Mr Henfield said he had no intention of meeting with the prime minister at the “ninth hour.” He also said that the organisers of the protest would meet with the nation’s leader once their demands are met.
“The people don’t want a secret meeting, they want action,” Dr Minnis said.
“They don’t want to talk and our prime minister is nothing but a talker. All he does is have secret meetings and secret deals in dark rooms and have secret contracts. That is why they don’t want to meet with Mr Christie. I don’t think he understands the purpose of the march, the people are frustrated and the government is acting as if they are employers as opposed to employees. Mr Christie has a record of not listening to people, but that will not be me.”
Organisers of the protest have promised to stage a similar event on Majority Rule Day if the government does not meet their demands.
The group is pushing for the government to table its long promised Freedom of Information legislation and provide a detailed explanation of how hundreds of millions of dollars in value added tax collection has been spent, among other demands.
Comments
Honestman 7 years, 5 months ago
This sounds so lame!
realfreethinker 7 years, 5 months ago
I agree 4th grade stuff
TalRussell 7 years, 5 months ago
Comrades! You must respect Minnis cause it took great courage to say this. That as leader of The Red Movement he is prepared to take his full share of any blame it is necessary to take for the poor performance of the Red Party in opposition, before he became a changed leader.
Does this mean there's enough of a change to give new hope to Coup members likes Long Island's Loretta and Montagu's Richard. What about Black Friday's co-leader Bostwick Jr., coming back as a red senator?
GrassRoot 7 years, 5 months ago
Martin Luther Minnis Gandhi - our new leader. The masses are kneeling down and bow their heads.
Publius 7 years, 5 months ago
This moron needs to be muzzled with immediate effect. So if he is suddenly the leader he is supposed to be, then what has he been up to the March? These lowlifes are saying literally any and everything they think will get people of dim wit to support them.
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago
"I will listen to my employer and do what is right for the Bahamian people"
Ok. Let Lanesha go
Voltaire 7 years, 5 months ago
Hahahaha – here here!
licks2 7 years, 5 months ago
The FNM "greennies" at it again. . .I guess that senator Rolle was right all along when she said. . . "yinna jess jealous of doc". . .but I will tell yall as the "word on da street dem say" . . .better get used to yall new PM. . .Doc Minnis. . .the people gat the power out here!!
SP 7 years, 5 months ago
............. Minnis Is Caught Between The Same Rock & Hard Place As The PLP ................
Dr. Minnis can only prove his newly found "change of convictions" by telling the people about, and actively pursuing and conviction for the missing $5M from his former fellow FNM tourism Cabinet minster, how he will defrock his own benefactors namely Brent Symonnette's group of aragonite pirates to return this natural resource to benefit the people at large, and seek prosecutions of the corrupt Cabinet ministers INCLUDING Hubert Alexander Ingraham as RECEIVERS of the Fred Ramsey BEC Cabinet bribery pay offs.
Otherwise Dr. Minnis must join Perry Christie and STFU!
Greentea 7 years, 5 months ago
Dear FNM, With all that is going on in the country ya'll have a good chance next election. But this dude here - He GATTA go. I don't care what he might be or seem to you in private, but to Joe public like me- he is DUMB as a conch. ZERO public communication skills. NEGATIVE ZERO personality. And when I say Dumb- I don't just mean the simple sheet he says like above, that bad enough, but this dude don't have ONE CLUE on how to get us out of this mess. His hands ain't clean and he has shown that he only surrounds himself with cronies (Lets be honest-Lloyd, Dames and D'Aguilar eeen there because of him) His clowning might work on a party level but on a national stage he is definitely in the B Junkanoo category, even as I apologize to them B groups. He don't inspire me to get up off my couch and drive to the polling station to vote and I know I am not alone. We can hardly get a word out of the shuffler who loves public adoration in power now, I can't imagine how bad it would be with this man who can hardly string two sentences together without Pintard or whoever behind him writing it before hand. And you NEED voters like me. I can't support the present excuse for a government, but I can't vote for him. I don't know what you can do at this point, but you better do something. Signed- Fed up with incompetence, but not willing to vote for someone even worse just cause I fedup.
Publius 7 years, 5 months ago
Agreed
jackbnimble 7 years, 5 months ago
Double agreed.
Honestman 7 years, 5 months ago
Greentea - it is IMPOSSIBLE for ANYONE to be worse than Christie and the PLP. Priority number one HAS to be getting rid of this criminal enterprise masquerading as a political party. The FNM as dysfunctional as they are, are the Nation's best bet for ousting China PLP. Now the second priority I would suggest will be to replace Minnis as leader of the FNM and Prime Minister. This will likely happen given the quality of some of the candidates likely to follow Minnis into the HOA. It is one step at a time however and first we have just got to get rid of the yellow peril, by whatever means.
licks2 7 years, 5 months ago
Jealously runs deep fer real now. . .this lil red cheering section here would "bun dawn the entire house" just to "get at" doc! Yall better get used to it. . .doc ger be yinna next PM. . .
TalRussell 7 years, 5 months ago
Comrades! After his Black Friday ideology makeover I don't know anymore what Minnis is really for, or maybe he really believes it's the sugar coating required to sprinkle in front of voters in order to get them out to the polling stations to mark their X for him as prime ministerial worthy.
Do you believe the Red Movement's leader is intellectually incapable of understanding what ordinary people fell is real? Are these not the kinds statements that lead supporters to think just maybe there doesn't seem be an organized strategy to this man except for ever changing off the cuff media statements that only serve to cement the unsure opinion people have of his leadership abilities.
Should we be grateful that Minnis stepped forward to say that after his former red senator Bostwick, co-led the Black Friday Protest down bay Street, it has “opened” his eyes and he is now a “different, changed” leader." Yes, as grateful as we should be grateful when a kindergartner says they have an open mind..
by TalRussell
jackbnimble 7 years, 5 months ago
Minnis (a.k.a. The Press Release King) has deluded himself into thinking the FNM will win by default and now he's pandering to the voters by pretending to care which they all do to get their hands in the cookie jar.
Frankly I am still waiting for a viable third option - and it's not the DNA. The Bahamas is not totally lost. I am still looking to the hills as I suspect something major will happen to shift this country back into the hands of the citizens and we will get a Government for the people, of the people and by the people. God has not forsaken us. Keep Hope Alive!
Cas0072 7 years, 5 months ago
I once thought Minnis would be a focused and actions oriented leader because he was not like the rowdy and big personality types that we usually see in Bahamian politics. Clearly, I read way too much into what appeared to be his calm demeanor. He is a typical Bahamian politician, pretending to be contrite about past failures only when they can no longer be ignored, and making bold, empty proclamations.
proudloudandfnm 7 years, 5 months ago
This man just may be more full of crap than Perry....
TalRussell 7 years, 5 months ago
We the people can't wait we Comrade Joshua? ... The political enemies awaiting Joshua themselves didn't have much to offer the people cause if they don't soon open at least 50% the doors Baha Mar to paying tourists, the day is pretty damn near when the walls of Bah Mar going fell on all them and their politically connected.backers.
Truth is the people are financially strapped and living under a fear crime dilemma and don't care much about what nationality their Joshua originates from or the dialect from their tongue. Just don't sail into Nassau Harbour as no broke Joshua.... and be not of a changing mind…don't be going so easily influenced by Bostwick Jr., to flip off on a tangent. Stick to your mindset as the people’s Joshua.
Yes, do your kick-start the decent paycheques magic in the thousands and a Bahamaland citizenship and passport awaits our Joshua.
banker 7 years, 5 months ago
Just like Donald Trump, Minnis will surprise. His team members, mostly all intelligent patriots (with the exception of a few low fences and dumb azzes like Renward, Edison etc) will come up with viable plans. They have it in them. They have the will to enact them. Some of the policy stuff that you will be hearing from the FNM will surprise.
TalRussell 7 years, 5 months ago
Comrade Banker, don't we done have too many like The Donald who refuse to pay their Bank of Bahamaland loans, taxes and small creditors?Who tell lies and belittled the little people? Never met a woman they couldn't disrespect.
birdiestrachan 7 years, 5 months ago
Minnis should be ashamed of himself. He should know better, but it seems he will do anything and say anything if he thinks he will gain Votes. It is not as if he came to know Jesus., There is nothing new that was said and anything that he should not have known The black march had one thousand. BTC sale had three thousand.
licks2 7 years, 5 months ago
Hahahahahahahahahahaha. . ."NEARLY FIVE YEARS OF WHOOPIN FROM DOC". . . "allyou" still crying and carrying on. As for you two PLPs around here. . .yall had 10 years ta prove yinna sef. . .YALL SEE WHAT YINNA AND YALL LEADER GIVE US. . .ORRRRRRR!
Now. . .we don't want to hear "NOTHING" from none of yinna. . .at least yall done prove that neither of yinna know what to do. . .doc keep out thinking yinna rogue reds. . .and well, Tal and Birdie dem just een no example of anything that resembles good in government.
AS FER YINNA "BUNCHA WHINNING OLE WOMAN" REDS . . .WHAT YALL BEATING-UP YA GUMS FOR. . .NOBODY CHECKING FOR YALL NO MORE. . .WE GAVE YINNA YALL CHANCE TO PROVE TO US THAT YALL HAD THE BETTER "JUICE" THAN YINNA DOC. . .THAT MAN ONLY LEAVE THE "GREASE STAIN" ON THE GROUND WHERE YINNA WAS STANDING. . .WALKED ALL OVER YINNA GRITS SO. . .MASHED YALL RIGHT UP BEFORE THE PUBLIC!
NOW. . .FOR REAL HE MIGHT BE THAT "MR MAGOO" AS YALL KEEP TELLING US HE IS IN REALITY. . .BUT THERE IS A "SOCIAL HONESTY" ABOUT HIM THAT THE PUBLIC LIKED FIRST-OFF. . .THEN YINNA KEEP "RIPPING ON HIM" AND HE KEEPS ON TICKING. . .BEATING THE STUFFINGS OUTTA YALL. HE HAS BECOME A KIND OF EXAMPLE OF "STAYING POWER IN THE FACE OF GREAT ODDS". . .SOMETHING THAT IS LACKING IN OUR LEADERS. . .OUR GUTLESS MASS OF WHINNERS!
ONE TIME AGO PERSONS USED TO SAY: " IF DOC CAN GET THIS PARTY TOGETHER I GER VOTE FOR HIM". . .NOW THE EXCHANGE IS: "ROCKIN DOC GER BE THE NEX PM"! BASHING HIM IN PUBLIC WILL NOT HELP YALL. . .IT ONLY MAKES THE PUBLIC "FEEL FOR HIM" AND HAVE THAT "NEED" TO PROTECT HIM FROM YALL. . .THEY SEE HIM AS "THEIR MAN". . . THE FEELING THAT IS FAST PUSHING HIM TO THE PM SEAT! THAT SAME "FEELINGS" FOR ROCKIN DOC FROM THE PEOPLE IS WHAT GIVES HIM THE EDGE EVEN OVER THE DNA!
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