"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
- Martin Luther King, Jr

At a time when the people of The Bahamas are desperately in need of dynamic, energetic leaders full of new ideas, promise and cutting edge vision, some were taken aback by the choices made by the FNM convention last week for their leadership team.
While we question neither their commitment nor dedication to the causes espoused by their party, Dr. Hubert Minnis' laid back style and self-acknowledged challenges with oral communication certainly would indicate the need for a deputy leader who possesses strengths in these areas and not one whose persona would characterize the new FNM leadership team as bland. Therefore this week, we would like to Consider This... what hope does this new leadership team have of impressing the electorate with their ability to provide the dynamic leadership that the country is crying out for?
The torch has been passed
Last week's FNM convention represented the first time that the position of FNM leader was hotly contested since Hubert Ingraham snatched his party's leadership from the jaws of the presumed victory of Tommy Turnquest or Dion Foulkes. The two contested that position shortly before the general elections of 2007, notwithstanding Ingraham's promise that he would not run for the top party post.
Following his elevation once again to party Leader, after quietly and almost invisibly biding his time in opposition from 2002 to 2007, Ingraham surprisingly wrenched victory from the PLP which had held the reins of government for its history-making single term in office.
Last week, the torch was passed to a new generation of FNM leaders who concretized their hopes of leading the FNM into the next general elections in 2017, or possibly earlier, and to ultimately preside over the affairs of state as prime minister and deputy prime minister.
During this leadership campaign, Minnis' ad featured him telling convention delegates and the country that, notwithstanding how badly he spoke, he is now ready to address challenges and to tackle the real problems of the country instead of just carping at the PLP.
If they are going to convince the electorate that they are ready to lead the country, Minnis and Turnquest must portray and clearly communicate progressive, inspiring leadership and present substantive, cutting edge ideas on how the country should be run, instead of just how it shouldn't be run - which includes whatever the PLP does or proposes.
Effective planning and purpose
The FNM leadership elections were cleverly choreographed by the party's old guard, who felt that they had to achieve three objectives.
First, they had to establish a level of stability and unity in the party's leadership, without the internecine internal bickering, at times vicious battles, that had infected that party's leadership for the past two and one-half years.
Secondly, they had to establish a leader from Grand Bahama in order to improve their chances of regaining more of the six seats on that island in the next election.
Third, they wanted to ensure that the party's leadership was comprised of parliamentarians in order to take advantage of the national platform that such a position affords. It appears that the strategic planners have successfully secured each of those objectives.
A probationary period
We believe that the same FNM old guard has telegraphed a crystal clear message that they will permit the new leadership to prove themselves in the months ahead - a proverbial probationary period -in which the new leaders can prove that they are worthy of the challenging tasks of leadership.
We also maintain that if the PLP continues to lose popular support and the new FNM leadership does not rise to the occasion, there will still be sufficient time for the FNM to shift gears, radically altering its leadership team and once again draft a "trusted, proven leader" who has definitively demonstrated the ability to win elections. That would pave the way for the return of the "Maximum Leader", notwithstanding his perennial protestations that he will not return - unless, of course, he is drafted by the unanimous acclamation of a party whose supporters are chomping at the bit to once again seize the reins of power.
The new chairman
Whatever one might say about the new FNM chairman, Michael Pintard, he cannot be referred to as bland. He is articulate, charismatic, and assertive.
Since his election, Pintard has been extremely vocal, almost daily refuting any criticisms and maintaining that it doesn't matter how bland the leader and deputy leader might appear to be. He has repeatedly reminded us that the new leaders may not be very inspiring, charismatic or flamboyant, and that the most important imperative of the new leaders is to be exceptionally productive and effective.
The chairman has proven that he is prepared to fight difficult political battles, having opposed Prime Minister Christie in an earlier election and Deputy Prime Minister Davis more recently in Rum Cay and San Salvador in 2012.
In the last general election, Ingraham dispatched him to displace Philip Brave Davis by any means necessary, a task that he nearly accomplished, losing by only 85 votes. There is no doubt that Pintard was hand-picked by Ingraham once again and the new FNM leader and deputy leader should never lose sight of this.
The Butler-Turner factor
Loretta Butler Turner mounted an impressive campaign last week, setting an historical record by being the first Bahamian woman to offer for the leadership of any political party. She will probably continue to be the most articulate, effective and forceful voice of the official opposition in Parliament. In the meantime, the FNM old guard has correctly calculated that it would be infinitely more difficult to replace a female leader before the next election if she had won last week's race, but came up short in possessing the pizzazz required to defeat the PLP in the next general elections. Accordingly, they decided to give Minnis a chance to reform and remake himself, also calculating that, if he does not, it would be politically more palatable to replace a male leader.
Conclusion
We sincerely wish the official opposition well, and hope that they will become a more effective, focused and forceful voice in Parliament, constantly challenging the government to account for its decisions, policies and actions. That is the only way to ensure good governance: supportive when the government acts in our best national interests and constructively critical when they do not. Christie has already astutely asserted that he cannot and will not underestimate the leader of the official opposition.
The enormous economic, political and social challenges that we face in the next 30 months will only be effectively embraced if the opposition is well-oiled, prepared, focused and committed to avoid flip-flopping on important national issues, avoid taking incongruous and untenable positions and proving that the leadership to whom the torch has been passed is ready to serve with distinction in the highest offices of the land.
o Philip C. Galanis is the managing partner of HLB Galanis and Co., Chartered Accountants, Forensic & Litigation Support Services. He served 15 years in parliament. Please send your comments to pgalanis@gmail.com.

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