The ill-advised decision of Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis to protect Senator Lanisha Rolle at all cost while risking deeper divisions and the further weakening of his party and of his leadership defies all logic.
The matter of Lanisha Rolle and her brazen and distasteful attack on Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner and other FNM MPs is really a sideshow to deeper troubles in the FNM. It is emblematic of Minnis' unfocused and incompetent leadership.
If he were a wise and astute leader, Minnis would have immediately asked Rolle to apologize for her unfortunate statements on a Guardian Radio program during which time she insulted sitting MPs.
Instead, he dodged, releasing an empty statement days later that amounted to a waste of time and further insulted the MPs who were the target of Rolle's public assault. Minnis added fuel to the controversy. Perhaps he thought he was being clever in pointing to "the personal comments of several of my colleagues" as opposed to focusing on the senator's inappropriate comments, which sparked the controversy.
Instead of directly disassociating himself from Rolle's attack, Minnis used broad strokes, saying, "The FNM does not endorse the public analysis or criticisms (including those that imputed motives) of our members of Parliament, senators and senior party members in ways that can cause reputational damage or cause loss of support for them and by extension the FNM."
Because of Minnis' failure to properly handle the situation, it continues to drag on unnecessarily at a time when the FNM ought to be laying out policies and a visionary platform for the Bahamian people, who are increasingly burdened by a government that limps along with little steam and a blown mandate. Minnis continues to cloak his treasured sycophant. He should have moved speedily to suffocate the explosive debate triggered by Rolle's rant.
Minnis had hoped the matter would have died after a few days' run in the press and after his call to keep dirty laundry in the family. But he was way off target in his assessment of the situation. He and his advisors ought to have known that his failure to demand an apology from Rolle would not sit well with some FNM MPs, and it did not.
Rolle blasted them publicly, accusing them of being jealous of Minnis and of acting out of self interest. She said the Bahamian people would never choose Butler-Turner over Perry Christie, the current prime minister. Her strike was brazen and wholly inappropriate. It was made in a public forum.
Instead of humbling herself and expressing regret, Rolle remained obstinate when contacted by Nassau Guardian reporter Royston Jones last week.
"I am who I am and I said what I said," she responded when asked whether she was still standing by her opinions.
In the face of her refusal to publicly apologize to the MPs and Minnis' soft pedalling of the issue, it has blown in a direction that is not favorable to any side concerned. It especially exposes Minnis as an inept leader.
The first MP to speak out was Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant. The most senior of the FNM MPs, Grant is well respected for being a straight shooter. He has zero tolerance for nonsense and disrespect.
After giving Rolle and Minnis a chance to adequately address the matter, Grant released a statement, demanding a public apology for her "unprovoked" attack.
Yesterday, Butler-Turner, St. Anne's MP Hubert Chipman, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn and North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly followed up with a statement, noting that, "Many FNMs were dismayed by [Rolle's] comments and are equally dismayed by the failure of the senator to publicly apologize".
The MPs said, "If Senator Rolle refuses to publicly apologize, our leader, Dr. Hubert Minnis, should insist that she does and he should specifically repudiate her unprovoked attack on sitting FNM members of Parliament."
They added, "It is not sufficient to offer general statements and principles. It is incumbent upon Dr. Minnis to insist that the senator publicly apologize for her comments, which, we repeat, were made in a public forum, and for which she should publicly apologize."
Minnis has proved repeatedly he lacks the skill set to be an effective leader, but even the most rookie leaders should be able to understand the dangers they can cause to their image when they allow simple matters to blow out of proportion through silence or dodging.
We go back to our initial statement: It defies all logic that Minnis risks the wrath of FNM MPs just to protect Rolle. By doing so, he has many wondering whether he green lighted her attack. Minnis cannot on the one hand call for healing and party unity and on the other hand allow further insult to sitting MPs by a senator who has long proven an embarrassment to the FNM.
The reason why the Rolle matter has received such attention is not merely because of the obvious interest generated by political infighting. It is another reminder of Minnis' inability to get his party under control. And if he cannot demonstrate his ability to deal with these kinds of simple matters, how could he possibly demonstrate his ability to effectively run a government?
The FNM's infighting and chaos are not the delusion of media desperate for sexy headlines. This disarray is plain for all sensible observers to see. No matter how much anger the Minnis camp musters up, this does not change reality.
Convention
The Rolle matter comes amid increased calls for an FNM convention. While a convention would likely be important to settle the troops and rally support, it might not be enough to bolster Minnis' feeble image. The FNM's main problem is ineffectual leadership.
Even a re-election at a convention might do little to strengthen the tattered organization that is the FNM. This matter is now bigger than Lanisha Rolle. It exposes a party that is in deep crisis.
The party says it intends to hold a full convention before November 30. There will likely be a fight in the coming weeks between forces loyal to Minnis, who want a convention at the latest possible date, and the anti-Minnis forces who want a convention no later than April in a bid to change leadership. As the convention issue becomes more prominent, Minnis will need to focus efforts on how best to convey leadership qualities. For him, this will not be easy.
An initial step ought to be ordering Rolle to apologize publicly and demonstrating that he is not too big or too mighty to recognize when he has made a misstep. But Minnis is too insecure and too lost to recognize opportunities to show strength. If he and Rolle double down and become more defiant, it would do more harm than good to Minnis and to a party that remains bloodied and weakened at a time when it should be poised to snatch an election victory.
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