Dear Editor,
Many years ago, when I was growing up as a boy in New Providence, there was a series of what were then called 'spaghetti western movies'. One of the more memorable ones was called: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, starring the American actor, Clint Eastwood.
Eastwood, of course, played the benign role of 'the good'. The late American actor, Eli Wallace played the dubious role of 'the bad' while another American actor (whose name escapes me right now) played the critical role of 'the ugly'.
We have characters, politically, in The Bahamas who closely resemble and act like those actors. We have our beloved prime minister who is generally perceived to be 'the good' personality. I have no doubt that Christie, is a good man but one must ask the question: Is he still relevant and is it possible that his shelf life may have expired?
Christie has spent four decades in front line politics. He has, I submit, given it his all. It is most unfortunate that in this time he has miserably failed, in my view, to create that elusive legacy which he so craves. He has had his chances at bat, so to speak, and it is high time for some other equally talented Bahamian to be allowed to step up to the plate.
Partisans of Christie say that there is still a lot more that he has to do as if there is some compelling reason for him to continue to stick around like the proverbial sore thumb. There are many deluded individuals here in this wonderful nation of ours. Others are susceptible, at the drop of a hat, to seeing holograms, ghosts and dead people. These comprise the unenviable ranks of 'the bad'. I wonder who we can refer to as 'the ugly'?
Among 'the bad' are some of those individuals who are in Christie's inner circle and who prop him up on a daily basis to firmly believe that only he, Christie, has the Chinese coconuts to govern The Bahamas. It has been the misfortune of the average Bahamian to be subjected to cronyism, favoritism and the development of a personality cult around our so called leaders.
Instead of governance being about the encouragement of national and personal development we see instead the mad rush by selected individuals and their putative leaders to hog up all of the wealth, assets and contracts. By the way, what is the status quo regarding BAMSI and Audley Hanna?
We see more 'bad' when one looks at crime and punishment and the dysfunctional judicial system. The members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, from Commissioner Greenslade right down to the ordinary officer who walks the beat, are doing an excellent policing job, bar none. I could care less about the wild-eyed diatribe by Christie against the police the other day. He obviously resides in another dimension or, possibly, the Twilight Zone 2.0.
The 'ugly' truth is that we are not progressing as a nation. Yes, there is some degree of economic activity, but is it enough to increase the anemic annual growth rate? The logical answer is no.
There is also a modicum of 'ugly' in the fact that Christie, historically, is known as an indecisive leader. No one who considers him/herself a leader should ever be seen to be double minded, as Christie often comes across. A leader's word, in essence, must stand for something tangible.
More 'ugly' comes into play when one applies for a governmental job, contract or housing. If you are female, more than likely you will be sexually propositioned and compromised. If you are a male you will be expected to regurgitate a percentage to 'the power/s that be'. Housing has long been used as a political football and a chip for all sorts of nebulous things and desires.
People who are qualified have been waiting for decades in some cases just to be assigned a home constructed on governmental land. Oftentimes, such houses are shabbily constructed and thousands of dollars have to be further expended to make them livable.
We need fresh leadership and we need it before the end of this year. No doubt, Baha Mar will be open in time for the October PLP convention, come hell or high water, as I am sure that the administration would wish to showcase itself. We may now expect all sorts of additional concessions and financial bones to be thrown at the principals down there.
Once the complex is opened, let the convention begin. Christie must demit office by the end of this year and certainly before Christmas Day. Common Cause and The National Republican Alliance (ARENA) have drawn the line in the sand. We who are 'true' PLPs have already started to clean house.
Deputy Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis fired Fort Charlotte MP Andre Rollins from the post of chairman of the Gaming Board. Rollins has now packed up his georgie bundle. Greg Moss left sometime before Rollins but he too should never have been embraced by the PLP.
We are prepared to keep Renward Wells but he will have to shut up and sit small. He is capable of being rehabilitated, if he so desires.
Any more of his half-baked antics and political posturing could be a form of political suicide. He was once 'dismissed' at the behest of Brave et al, and we could bring him back into the fold after a sufficient period of inner reflection.
The good, the bad and the ugly is now being played out and the movie will soon come to an end. Senior actors, who are now beginning to show flaws after being on Broadway for so long, will either exit the stage voluntarily or they will be obliged to creep out into the night with their proverbial tails between their legs.
PLPs know Brave. He is a straight shooter. Brave does not have to be flamboyant, even though he is, to persuade the vast majority of delegates and council members to support him. When you support Brave you are supporting the continuation of the party in governance; honesty and inherent decency; fiscal and economic responsibility and, most important, a hard working and focused individual.
If you want a vacuous pretender to lead the PLP, do not look to Brave but to the others who have come out or those who yet remain in the political closet. To God then, in all things, be the glory!
- Ortland H. Bodie Jr.
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