Dear Editor,Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe should be congratulated for putting it on the record that his younger colleagues who spoke their mind and expressed divergent views on the constitutional amendment bills will not be victimized by the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).However, surprisingly for a former journalist, Wilchcombe joined some of his other colleagues in the PLP in expressing disappointment that Dr. Andre Rollins and other first-time MPs decided to express their opinions, and those of their constituents, on such a matter of national importance.The minister said he believes such disagreements should be handled internally by parties, and not aired for public scrutiny."The way I would have done things is quite differently," he said. "I am part of a team. And being part of a team requires that you understand that if you want to win the championship, you have to practice in-house."That is how basketball teams win, football teams win; that's how politicians win and that's how teams win generally."The perspective expressed by Wilchcombe is that of the old-style of politics, where parties govern in the name of the people, but really do things in such a way that it perpetuates their own chances of political success.What the young MPs represent, on the other hand, is a new era of transparency that is creeping up on The Bahamas, whether our leaders like it or not. Under this new way of thinking, the people govern not in name only, but in actual fact, through their elected representatives.In this new style of politics that is emerging, the opinions of constituents matter, and are aired in the sunshine for all to see, not buried in the darkness of internal party scheming.- F. Rolle

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