The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune. 

The game inside the Progressive Liberal Party has changed. And if Chester Cooper is sleeping well tonight, he should not be.

When Sebas Bastian walked into the PLP Candidates Committee this week, he did not come as a businessman looking to serve. He came as a man looking to claim space. A man who already has money, muscle, and the kind of influence that can bend the air in a room before he even speaks.

Everyone knows Sebas does not move without purpose. Every donation, every community project, every handshake has been part of a long plan. For years he has played the role of benefactor, staying close enough to the fire to feel its heat but never stepping into the flame. This week he walked straight into it. And that is why Chester should be worried.

Chester Cooper once looked untouchable. Exuma was his kingdom. His loyalty to Brave was his shield. He was the man everyone quietly believed would one day lead the PLP. But politics has no sentiment. The minute Brave opened the door to Sebas, that comfort ended.

Chester should be extremely worried about what comes next. For years he has been seen as Brave’s natural successor, the heir waiting for his moment. But Sebas changes everything. The party’s financiers, the new generation of PLPs, and even some sitting members of Parliament are watching closely. They see in Sebas a man who can finance his own movement, command his own crowd, and speak with the authority of someone who owes no one anything. That is a dangerous mix for any would-be successor. If Chester loses momentum now, he may find himself in the same position as many before him, loyal, respected, and left behind.

Chester’s issue runs deeper than Sebas. He has never built a strong political base beyond Exuma according to many observers. His public image is polished but distant, and within the party, some quietly question whether he can truly connect with the grassroots the way Brave did. Many in the movement respect Chester’s intellect but do not feel his presence. He is seen as the professional face of the PLP, but not the soul of it. That gap leaves space for someone like Sebas, someone who can speak to the people in plain language, write the cheque, and turn up at the cookout. Politics in The Bahamas is not won by who is smartest. It is won by who the crowd believes is theirs.

Sebas has what every politician dreams of but few can control. Money that talks, reach that multiplies, and charisma that connects. If he wins the Fort Charlotte nomination, he instantly becomes more than a candidate. He becomes a new center of gravity inside the PLP. Ministers will call him. MPs will flatter him. Supporters will follow his lead. He will not need to fight for relevance. It will come to him.

Brave knows exactly what he has done. He has reminded the entire party that no one is bigger than the man in charge. By letting Sebas in, Brave has placed everyone on notice, including his deputy. It is a classic move. The kind that splits loyalties, stirs ambition, and keeps everyone guessing who stands where.

Inside every room now, people are whispering the same question. Is Sebas the future? Can he be managed? Or has Brave just created a rival that even he cannot contain?

Chester knows the answer. He just will not say it out loud. Because when Sebas walked into that committee, the PLP’s next chapter began. And Brave, calm as ever, sat back and smiled.

Brave just said checkmate.

BAHAMIAN TRUTH

October 9, 2025.