Dear Editor,

In watching the coverage of the opening of the much-needed Critical Care Block at Princess Margaret Hospital, I noticed a strange thing. There were many senior politicians and important persons in attendance, but one person seemed to be conspicuously absent. Certainly, Prime Minister Perry Christie and his team were center stage, as would be expected, but where was opposition leader Dr. Hubert Minnis?

Could it be that Minnis decided not to show up? Perhaps he wasn't invited. Could it be that the coverage by the press purposely left the leader of the opposition out of the frame, in the case of ZNS, on orders of their political controllers? This, it must be said, seems unlikely. Particularly as the governing PLP does not seem to fear Minnis and would probably not see the need to go out of their way to marginalize him.

Meanwhile, everybody knows they are terrified by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. Yet Ingraham joined Christie at center stage during the ceremony. On the surface, it is fitting that Ingraham and Christie - the man who initiated and began the Critical Care Block, and the one who saw it through - should share the limelight on this day. At the same time, all Minnis supporters should be worried by his absence or marginalization on such an important occasion. As every Bahamian knows, once you take a back seat to Ingraham, it is difficult to be seen as the driver once again.

- F. Bain

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