FNMs everywhere and other Bahamians yearning for better political and national leadership have had their prayers answered. As a result of the Black Friday march, Free National Movement Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis says he is a changed leader. Finally, we have reason to hope again.
Minnis made the statement to The Tribune.
"The people are frustrated and the people are tired," he said. "The march was not just against the Progressive Liberal Party. It was against the government as a whole and against politicians.
"They were saying, 'This is what we want. Listen to us. Enough is enough.' They want a new type of (politician) and want the same old way to stop.
"I will be a different type of leader. The protest opened my eyes. I will listen to my employer and do what is right for the Bahamian people. This is the people's time, and I will listen to what they have to say."
On a serious note, the FNM's leader's statement was laughable. If it took hundreds of Bahamians marching in Downtown Nassau for him to realize the people want to be 'listened to', then the FNM is even worse off than we initially thought. This is not the first protest Minnis has seen while he was in public life.
In 2011, he sat in Cabinet during the contentious protests against the sale of a majority stake in The Bahamas Telecommunications Company. There was no "listening to the people" then. Minnis and other members of the Ingraham administration turned a blind eye to protesters.
Clearly, the opposition leader is seeking to get some political mileage out of the recent Black Friday march. It was pandering at the highest level. It was Minnis really thinking that Bahamians are that stupid to think the march has "changed" him.
In his statement to The Tribune, Minnis admitted his eyes were closed prior to November 25. He is suggesting that, prior to the march, he had no idea the people wanted to be listened to; he had no idea they wanted a new type of politician and wanted the same old way to stop. Is Minnis also saying that, prior to November 25, he had no plan to "do what is right for the Bahamian people"? This is another reminder why so many Bahamians are turned off by the options on the political menu.
Prime Minister Perry Christie has become a drag on progress. He is difficult to listen to and often impossible to believe. But Minnis remains unpalatable. This is probably why there is no great rush to registration centers to register to vote.
Though he has a firm hold on the reins of his party, Minnis remains a pandering leader, grasping at any issue he thinks would give him brownie points. He is low on ideas, and lacking in inspiration. He has yet to present any policy proposals with depth, focus or direction.
Minnis is known for gauging the direction of the wind and formulating his statements to say what he thinks people want to hear. We saw it during the gender equality referendum when he flip-flopped his position. We saw it recently when Minnis, in response to murder numbers, declared it is time to start "popping necks" again. If he were to be pressed on the complex death penalty issue, we would be surprised if he has thought through what steps ought to be taken to resume hangings and could articulate a plan in that regard.
We saw this same kind of pandering amid public outrage over the poor service being delivered by The Bahamas Electricity Corporation, which has suffered over many years of a failed maintenance plan and poor decision making. Minnis protested outside BEC. But when asked what his plan was for energy reform, he was unable to articulate one.
The FNM leader shows no depth in thinking, no grasp on the significant issues of our time, and outlines no clear solutions. He is about one thing: positioning himself in an effort to look more favorable to the people. He must really take us all for fools if we are to believe that suddenly he "gets" what Bahamians want in their leaders all because he attended the Black Friday march.
Candia Dames, Guardian Managing Editor
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