"If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
In part 1 of this series, we reviewed the multiplicity of political parties that adorned the political landscape over the last 62 years. Only three major political parties were successful in at least two general elections: the Progressive Liberal Party, the United Bahamian Party, and the Free National Movement, respectively formed in 1953, 1958 and 1971.
Most of the parties that emerged over the years are now defunct. They include the United Bahamian Party, the National Democratic Party, the Poor Powerful Peoples Party, the Bahamian National Party, the People's Labour Movement, the Bahamian Freedom Alliance, the Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party, the Workers' Party, the Bahamian Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the Coalition for Democratic Reform.
Today, there are four active political parties: the PLP, the FNM, the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), and the newly minted United Democratic Party (UDP). All of these parties, except for the DNA, currently have at least one member in Parliament. Therefore, in light of the plethora of parties that have emerged and waned over the years, this week we would like to continue to Consider this... is there a place for plural political parties in The Bahamas?
We will examine the names that some parties have chosen, their philosophical differences, and briefly discuss the viability of multiple parties in The Bahamas. What's in a name? The names that political organizations choose for themselves are instructive, as can be seen below.
The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP)
The PLP chose a name that represented the philosophical underpinnings of its political ethos. The words "progressive" and "liberal" are self-explanatory.
The PLP is best described as a populist and social liberal party that articulated the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the majority of Bahamians who were previously excluded from enjoying all the benefits that this country offered. The PLP fought for the liberation and equality of all Bahamians and for representation for the Labour movements in Parliament
The United Bahamian Party (UBP)
The UBP was formed to represent the interests of the white oligarchy known as the Bay Street Boys. The UBP practiced a Bahamian-style of apartheid, albeit not as extensive, pervasive or prevalent as the South African brand. The UBP supported a level of racial segregation, basically excluding the eighty-five percent black majority from businesses, occupations, land ownership and equal opportunity for upward mobility.
It is interesting that the 'United Bahamian Party' was not the first name chosen for that party. In a letter dated March 1, 1958 to the Colonial Office in London, the organizers of that party advised that its name, which was originally the Christian Democratic Party, had been changed to the United Bahamian Party.
In volume 1 of his autobiography entitled: Sir Clifford Darling: A Bahamian Life Story, Sir Clifford quoted the letter which stated in part: "When in London in November, we informed you... that the name of our party was the 'Christian Democratic Party'. Since then, principally as a result of the large number of people of all classes who have expressed a desire to be associated with us in working towards the betterment of conditions in The Bahamas, the name of our party has been officially changed to the 'United Bahamian Party'." The letter was signed by Stafford Sands, Roy Solomon, Robert Symonette, Foster Clarke and Godfrey Kelley.
The Free National Movement
The Free National Movement has historically projected and represented the views of a conservative political party. While the PLP developed as a nationalist party whose primary objective was to enfranchise and empower the black majority in opposition to the supremacy of the white oligarchy, the FNM was born out of an inherently vehement opposition to the cult of personality that developed around the leadership of Lynden Pindling after Majority Rule.
It is also interesting that, when it was formed, the FNM did not use the word "nationalist" in its name. It opted instead for the word "National" which suggested a geographical instead of a philosophical difference from the PLP. Future political scholars might suggest that the FNM would have been more successful earlier in its political life had it adopted the word "nationalist" (philosophical) rather than "national" (location) in its name.
There is much to be said about revealing a party's philosophical orientation in its choice of a name.
The philosophical differences
While there were decidedly different approaches to their political practices and polemics, the original written platforms of the PLP and the UBP contained strikingly similar objectives.
The first PLP platform focused on the objectives that were directed towards opening and expanding greater economic and social opportunities for the citizens of The Bahamas and for greater flexibility of the economy. Central to its philosophy, when it became the government, the PLP immediately launched the "Social Revolution," including the eventual introduction of the National Insurance Scheme, a system of social security, which was accompanied by a massive low-cost housing program. Unlike its UBP nemesis, the PLP also embarked on a massive educational program that provided secondary and tertiary education for the masses.
The PLP government presided over many other transformative achievements and milestones, including the spectacular growth of tourism and the banking and finance sectors, as well as the establishment of a national flag carrier. Perhaps the single greatest achievement of the PLP government was witnessed on July 10, 1973, when the Union Jack was lowered and the Bahamian Flag was raised at the handing over of the instrument of Independence at Clifford Park.
The initial UBP platform listed twenty points that provided considerable details about its plans for the development of The Bahamas. More about this in our next installment. The only party that provided a distinctively different political philosophy was the Nationalist Vanguard and Socialist Party that was formed in 1971. The party espoused views that were grounded in Marxist-Leninist precepts. The party was radically different from the PLP and the FNM and was rebuffed categorically and overwhelmingly by the electorate.
The viability of multiple parties
So what is the viability of plural political parties in The Bahamas? With the exception of the Vanguard Party, the real difference in most of the other nascent parties has essentially been one of personalities rather than philosophy. Furthermore, it could be argued that we are simply too small to have successful "third" or "fourth" political parties.
If we look at Jamaica, for instance, the issue of population size often arises when considering the viability of multiple political parties in that country which has a population of nearly three million. It begs the question about the viability of our polity which is one-tenth that size. We can also observe our neighbors in the United States of America. Throughout its 228-year history, although there have been intermittent multiple parties, for the most part, a two-party system has prevailed.
Conclusion
In part three of this series, we will review the initial platforms of our major parties. In part four, our final installment of this series, we will assess the likely success of the burgeoning Democratic National Alliance and the United Democratic Party as they seek to seize the reins of government in the next general elections. For the moment, however, we should remember the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower who observed that "If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power."
Notwithstanding the plethora of parties that have peppered the political panorama, most of which have been relegated to the political boneyards, the vibrancy of our democracy has demonstrated that we have endured decades of disparate dissenting declarations as manifested in numerous political parties. Nonetheless, the discerning wisdom of the Bahamian electorate has rejected those whose primary motivations have been propelled by a conspiracy to seize power. We do not doubt that this will again be the case and that our perceptive electorate will not fail to distinguish the difference between a true political party and a conspiracy.
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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