Dear Editor,

In 2011, I made the difficult decision to leave the Free National Movement, the party which I had supported for much of my life. In the weeks, months and now years since making that choice, I watched as the country questioned my motives and thoughts.

I have been heavily criticized by supporters of the Free National Movement and members of the wider public who interpreted my actions as selfish, hot-headed and even disloyal. In the years since the formation of the Democratic National Alliance, I have also been accused of being impatient and power hungry, incapable of waiting my turn in an organization which may have chosen me to lead in the upcoming general election. These assumptions, however, could not be further from reality.

My decision to leave the FNM was not made lightly; in fact, it is perhaps one of the most important choices I have ever had to make. In the months ahead of that choice, I watched as our country continued to spiral downward. The party I once loved and supported appeared ill-equipped and unprepared to develop innovative policies that would propel the country forward.

Leadership failed to make prudent financial decisions which would benefit the country as a whole. Our citizens were being continuously neglected and not offered the basic civil right of a sound education. How do we expect our children to be successful if they lack the skills necessary to compete, locally, nationally and globally?

Today, much of what I voiced concerns about transpiring has come to fruition. I said at the time of my resignation from the FNM party that the country was not headed in the right direction. With our current crime, economic and social woes, I am sadly convinced that our country is crying out for help.

So, what are my motives? Simply put, it is to be the catalyst for change in our country. We in the DNA want to be the reason that young Bahamians come to realize their immense value. We want to be the party that creates economic reform and opportunities for sustainability. We want to rewrite the dismal narrative that exists in our country today.

In recent weeks, the widespread call for change of leadership of both the PLP and FNM is confirmation that I made the right decision in 2011. It is proof that now, more than ever, Bahamians are ready to embrace change and embrace a government which respects the will of the people who elected them. That is what Bahamians deserve, and that is what the DNA will bring to the future governance of this country.

I realized then, what many Bahamians are now coming to understand: that in order for our country to see real progress, fresh ideas and young progressive leadership is needed. The Democratic National Alliance was founded on that premise. Since inception we have continued to work tirelessly to be the kind of political organization that the next generation of Bahamians can be proud of. The kind of organization that understands and values the input of those who came before, but is unafraid of taking the kind of deliberate action which will be needed to secure our country's future.

Through the DNA we have a collective opportunity to hit the reset button, the chance to set a new course bound for safety, prosperity and a better Bahamas.

- Branville McCartney

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