Ranard Henfield is pictured with Dame Marguerite Pindling, Governor General of the Bahamas, as he is sworn in as a Senator. Photo: Shawn Hanna
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
AMID criticism of his new appointment to the Senate, We March organiser Ranard Henfield insisted yesterday that he has not joined the Free National Movement and that he would lead a march against the new government as a senator “if necessary” in order to hold the Minnis administration accountable.
Mr Henfield faced a barrage of criticism for accepting a Senate appointment from some observers who believe that appearing to side with a political party undermines the originally stated goal of the We March organisation as well as its ability to galvanise Bahamians seeking to disrupt the status quo of governance in the country.
Some Progressive Liberal Party supporters pounced on his decision yesterday, having long claimed that his organisation was partial to the FNM despite purporting to be apolitical.
“We March isn’t backing down,” Mr Henfield told reporters moments after he and his new parliamentary colleagues posed for pictures at Government House with Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday.
“We March isn’t sitting small. We March isn’t saying ‘okay, because we have a seat to the table we have nothing to say.’ If the things We March has agitated for aren’t done, the organisation isn’t sitting and waiting, counting down the days. We will send a letter and if that letter isn’t addressed, we will march and if the administration is doing what it promised to do we will still march to remind them to keep doing it. We won’t pop up in five years or four years to march. We March will constantly keep marching to ensure they will continue doing what they promised to do.”
Mr Henfield said it was important to accept the Senate appointment in order to ensure that We March and 42 other related civil organisations “have a seat at the table.”
Nonetheless, his decision comes after he rejected former Prime Minister Perry Christie’s request to meet last year ahead of the group’s first massive protest and discuss issues important to the organisation.
Mr Henfield said yesterday that unlike Dr Minnis, what Mr Christie had offered was not an opportunity for the civil organisations to “have a seat at the table.”
He said: “The issue there was rather clear you know. The letter sent to the former prime minister spoke to 43 organisations. The prime minister sought to single me out to come for a private meeting. I said there will be no private meeting. Even for (this Senate) appointment I received a phone call from the prime minister; I never went to meet with this prime minister, nor did this prime minister ask me to join a political party. The last administration was basically disrespectful to We March and the organisations and we had been asking to be heard. Now you have a prime minister that says you don’t need to be joining the FNM but We March should have a seat at the table, all these ideas you have, put it on the table and make sure the people’s time is in fact the people’s time.”
He added: “The other administration was like, forget about the other 42 organisations, let’s see what we could do for you, let’s have a talk with you and I said if you would like to meet with all 43 organisations, we can do that but we’re not going to be singled out. We’re not going to go for divide and conquer and nor are you going to offer me some position.”
Mr Henfield suggested that some of the new administration’s priorities and actions, such as ordering audits of government ministries and having mostly new faces in Cabinet, were the result of We March’s protests.
About face
In April, Mr Henfield told reporters that the organisation had no intention of endorsing or associating itself with a political party.
“We March must still remain independent of (political affiliations) because We March is a reflection of dissatisfied Bahamians who want to see things change,” he said on April 2, according to The Nassau Guardian, following a march to the Office of the Prime Minister.
“Right now the PLP might feel We March is anti-PLP. But if this government changes and the DNA wins or the FNM wins or another party wins, we will march on them.”
Asked in April if he was in talks with the FNM about a possible arrangement, he said “no” at the time, also revealing that he planned to leave the country within the next week.
“I am not in conversations with any particular party, or any party for that matter,” he told The Tribune on April 2. “I moved my wife out of the country a month ago, and if you noticed today you’ll see me and my daughter. My wife is eight months and about two weeks pregnant, our baby is due in another week or two.
“I will leave the country this Sunday. I am not interested in running; you won’t see my name on a ballot. You won’t see me at any campaigns or any rallies, you won’t see me endorsing any parties, nor will you see any party saying ‘well, Ranard is now a part of us.’”
When asked when he plans to return, Mr Henfield said: “Well, I have no idea when I intend to return to the country. But I can tell you this much - that I am not going to be on any ballot for any party. I’m not in conversations with any party about running for any party or taking any postings for any party. I’ve had those offers and I think I’ve made it very clear to every single party that I’m not interested. I’ve always been anti-parties, and that is because I believe once you swear your allegiance to a party, you can never be neutral.”
However, shortly before the May 10 general election, Mr Henfield endorsed Dr Minnis, stressing his confidence in the FNM leader.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 11 months ago
st. #Irrational #blindedbythelights
MassExodus 6 years, 11 months ago
Great news! PLP should definitely be worried now.
JohnDoes 6 years, 11 months ago
Interesting, a new age is upon us. The Senate has been a bit boring as it relates to its position in this government for many years now I think. Even though bills were debated most if not all of the time they are passed with no real deliberation/oppostion. Hopefully this appointment means that there will be more of a 'people' focus within the Senate. From Moncur's appointment I was a bit confused but not surprised. There is a new political climate taking place in our Bahamaland.
tell_it_like_it_is 6 years, 11 months ago
Smells like a fish!
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 11 months ago
This is like the letter to the former PM when he made all those demands that had to be resolved in an unreasonable time period, "or else". Something is just "off". Then the john bostwick alliance. The march to the PM's house, I mean office..say what? The announcement that they'd declare support for a party, no wait, no announcement were apolitical Just "off" moves one after the next.
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 11 months ago
Dear Lord, save us from men in nice suits. Please. Personality ethic vs Character ethic
Socrates 6 years, 11 months ago
we should be cautious with this 'new' style of political leadership which appoints persons who openly state they are potentially hostile to your policies.. by definition, political appointees are supposed to be faithful suppporters of party doctrine and policies as you rely on them to sell these things... social activists and their kind have a role to play in our system, but from outside.. i think seeds of potential confusion are being sown in the zeal to appear overly democratic.. could backfire..
SP 6 years, 11 months ago
Pillage Loot Plunder supporters never once found it necessary to "pounced" on their super-jackass extraordinaire former leader Perry Gladstone Christie who led them to ALL CRASH AND BURN IN THE WORST POLITICAL DEFEAT IMAGINABLE, but they think this appointment is collusion?
Ranard Henfield is a principled individual with the best interest of the country and people at heart, that should bring a measure of balance to a Senate that nothing more than a rubber stamp for past administrations.
When was the last time anyone heard of a deadlock in the Senate prohibiting passage of bills? Anyone remember a senator rejecting anything and bringing something to the people for consensus?
Ranard Henfield has a strong base of followers, perhaps even eclipsing that of Pillage Loot Plunder!
That alone is justifiable cause enough for Ranard Henfield's appointment to the Senate.
The one person missing to date, and badly needed in the Senate in Dr. Andrea Rollins! He is a FEARLESS GIANT!
Dr. Rollins is totally unafraid to "go it alone" to oppose or condone anyone or anything he deems to be in the best interest of the people and country. This is the type of individual that has been sorely missing in the Senate for decades.
Thanks, and congratulations to Ranard Henfield. .....NOW BRING DR. ANDREA ROLLINS!
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 11 months ago
I have grave concerns about Henfield, he doesn't seem to have a firm direction, he makes bold and fearless announcements then he shifts and says you misunderstood what I said. If he did that one time I could excuse it, but he does it over and over and over again. Something is wrong, it's very unsettling. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Andre Rollins is a different kettle of salmon. I love salmon. He is also bold and fearless, intelligent, annoys many people but he sticks to his guns. I haven't heard him give one position that I found troubling or nonsensical even when he called Minnis a clown, because what Minnis did at that time was questionable, I cringed but I couldn't argue with him. Bring on Rollins!
Henfield HAD a strong base of followers, I've made comments commending him, now I've had to completely rethink. I was actually warned months ago to examine the person leading that movement and I defended him, now I'm wondering. I'm going to bet there are many people who are also wondering this morning
jackbnimble 6 years, 11 months ago
I agree with you. In the beginning I thought Henfield was on to something and was hand and foot behind him on the first march. I really thought he had a good thing going. By the time he had the second March, he just wasn't making an sense. He seemed all over the place. No focus. Just seemed to be looking for attention or basking in what little he got. By the time he did the third march to the PM's house I just knew something was off and that was confirmed by the numbers that turned up for each march. They seemed to be less and less.
Henfield says one thing, then does another or completely retracts. He strikes me as not being up to the challenge or deathly afraid of or unable to handle criticism even after appearing to take a strong stance. Frankly, I don't think that even Henfield knows his own mind.
An appointment to the Senate may stroke his ego or quiet him down for now, but in my mind he is just not ready for high office. Too unstable.
SP 6 years, 11 months ago
Thank GOD BRADLEY GARGOYLE ROBERTS has turned to stone for the next 5 years and we won't need to listen to any more of his " tales from da crypt!"
by SP
Truism 6 years, 11 months ago
and somewhere in The Bahamas someone is surprise by this appointment. Yawn!
DreamerX 6 years, 11 months ago
LOL, Independence be damned
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 11 months ago
He put on a Roc with Doc tshirt on election eve, he is not independent. It made no sense, many persons weren't FNMs but they voted to rid the country of the PLP, they didn't show up on fab with a glamour shot in a red shirt. I think he's into marketing himself.
Anyway whatever, he's shot himself in the foot. He's lost whatever support he had outside of his FNM supporters.
TalRussell 6 years, 11 months ago
Comrades! I wasn't before buying that Minnis is a sucker for disappointment when it comes to the people he surrounds his leadership with....but didn't he learn anything from Long Island's Reheasa's, quasi and instantly rocky alignment with the appointment of the DNA"s "Senator" Bran?
With this newest appointment, Long Island's newest MP won't be the only red shirt lining-up to tell the PM....''I'm angry as hel with your appointments. Like Long Island's MP Adrian could now confronts the prime minister over their eligibility to collect long-term 'you gone hurt lots red shirts feelings' disability benefits..
licks2 6 years, 11 months ago
Some of yinna needs to grow the hell up. . .WE ASKED FOR CHANGE IN A WAY DAT WILL BLOW DOWN THE WATER TOWER. . .yet we rowing when we getting the change we asked for! Yes. . .I say put about six persons in the Senate who don't have to kiss nobody tails to keep the damn country from being the same ole PLP or FNM everywhere!! Hell I wish they put Nikky Kelly along with Sparky from the talk shows fame. . .in there too. . .six FNMs , four PLPs and about six independent hell raisers who are not attached to none of them parties!!
Adrian Gibson will be just fine. . . he just spoke out of term. . .he ger be alright!! Now that PLP pick is just dumb crap. . .except the young lady . . .all others are just rejected ole PLP trash that the people kicked out with the other nonsense persons they had in their circles. . .
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 11 months ago
If they really wanted "change" and independent voices, Komolafe and Rollins would be in the Senate, those two are dynamos, make no mistake they know exactly who they pick
licks2 6 years, 11 months ago
Possible the Komolafe lady. . .but nobody want to "pick up" Rollins no more. . .HE DOES BIT YA!!! Lol!
sheeprunner12 6 years, 11 months ago
The Senate is supposed to be made up of 9 Government .... 4 Opposition ..... and 3 Neutral ..... I would like to know............. Who are the three "neutral" Senators??????
TalRussell 6 years, 11 months ago
Comrade SheepRunner12, why ask a question that is not in suspense?
Red Senator Ranard, has made it pretty damn clear that if the newest governing red regime under PM Minnis, doesn't delivery on what he demanded from the PLP government - that WE MARCH will be back out on the streets marching against the Minnis regime.
Surly, PM Minnis is now going to appoint the former Long Island MP Reheasa, to some kinds important government position - maybe right in the prime minister's office so he can keep an close eye on her actions be best?
In his profession life Minnis may have been a Healer ....But that nonsense does not play out well in the nasty world governing politics.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 11 months ago
Tal ......... The Senate must remain the Queen's Prestigious Review Panel ...... We have corrupted the Senate to make it a "rubber stamp" for the Cabinet .... The Senate must become a place of responsible governance or get rid of it
TalRussell 6 years, 11 months ago
Comrade SheepRunner12, isn't it the patient whose supposed to be seeking the doctor's -assisted suicide ....I thinks on reviewing several PM Minnis's early appointments - the doctor himself does meet the eligibility for appointment-assisted political suicide. He time as First Minister - she ain't long..... What I've learned is that the red party will have no hesitation removing their party's leader when they feel he is undemanding them by appointing those who were not with the party during their 5-years on the opposition benches.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 11 months ago
Democracy is a living organism Tal ........... That is why the PLP lost ....The PLP dried up and died for a lack of vision and dynamic leadership ....... Which organization looks better for what has happened since 2012 ...... the FNM or the PLP????
birdiestrachan 6 years, 11 months ago
He was always a FNM He came up to close to the election demanding answers, look at doc and the outspoken QC right in the midst. Of we march Big money was behind this where is Fried Bacon.? What starts wrong will end wrong. it is not good to allow one self to be used. your usefulness will end and you will become garbage,
This situation is very deep.
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