The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ speech at ZNS and BIS was, in my view, a political classic. The staff at ZNS, long held to be the epicentre of political victimisation, was admonished by Minnis in no uncertain terms that political victimisation will not be tolerated under his watch, whether by PLP or FNM. Assessment of staff and management will be based on performance, professionalism and punctuality, not political affiliation. FNMs at ZNS will be held to the same standard as PLPs.

Minnis’ statement that he does not care if you are PLP or FNM was classic. His speech was nearly on par with Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream, Ronald Reagan’s Tear Down This Wall, Jawaharlal Nehru’s Awake to Freedom, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Only Thing We have to Fear, Winston Churchill’s The Few and Nelson Mandela’s inaugural speech. Minnis has often been criticised by opponents for not being able to speak well. In my estimation, he gave one of the greatest speeches ever in The Bahamas. The thing which stood out regarding Minnis’ speech was not its oratorical style or theatrics, or lack thereof; what stood out was its substance.

I believe this speech defines his prime ministership. Gone are the days of political cronyism and political patronage. Under Minnis, meritocracy is the order of the day. Everyone will now have to pull their weight. According to the government, the days of largesse are over. Minnis is the prime minister of every Bahamian, whether they are FNM, PLP, DNA or independent. All will be treated equally and fairly. Minnis’ speech was a breath of fresh air to a nation which has become accusmtomed to political tribalism and political witch hunts. PLPs need not fear political victimisation under Minnis. I sincerely believe he means what he says, and says what he means when he said the days of victimisation are over.

KEVIN EVANS

June 11, 2017.