The rights of the Party and Leaders

Mon, Dec 12th 2011, 08:23 AM

In the weeks and months to come, as the political parties officially name their candidates, there will be much name calling and complaining.  Men and women who thought for decades that their parties and leaders were great will, after being denied nominations, think they are threats to The Bahamas.  Kenneth Russell is the latest politician to have a change of heart from what he formerly believed and proclaimed.

"The prime minister painted a good picture for me, and I thought the prime minister was a democratic man, was a man who had a heart because of what he showed me in my experience with him.  He was more democratic than anyone else I know.  Or so I thought.  And he was a man (who) was down to earth - don't mind the rough exterior," said Russell to this newspaper Friday.

"But now, I'm learning that he could also be a tyrant.  That's what I'm learning now.  I learned it the hard way.  Now he (has) the power; he could destroy me and he is freely welcome to do so, but God is in control of this ship."  Hubert Ingraham fired Russell from cabinet Friday.  The FNM is also unlikely to give him a nomination to run under its banner in the next general election.  

Whether it is for political reasons (to give another Free National Movement member a better seat) or if Ingraham is no longer a fan of Russell for discussing private government business he should not have, Russell is out.  His dismissal from cabinet and falling out of favor with the party's leader are all part of the political process.

Ingraham has the right to decide who is in his cabinet.  When he no longer has confidence in a person, he has the right to fire that person.  As leader of the FNM he also has the right to recommend to his party the people he would like to be party candidates in the next election.
If the party is disposed to follow the recommendation of the leader, the person is out.  No one should consider a political leader a tyrant for simply deciding the members of his team or his cabinet.

For Russell, or any politician who happily followed a leader for decades, to disparage that leader after falling out of favor is immature.  We raise this issue because there will be more political complaining - in all parties - in the run up to the election.  Would-be candidates will also be upset with Perry Christie and Branville McCartney.  They will call them every name under the sun.  What these men and women must understand is leaders hold these positions and have one political objective: winning.

Friendship and kindness have little to do with power politics.  In fact, the greatest political leaders have few friends.  They simply make alliances with people and groups at various times in order to achieve particular objectives.  Alliances are always being negotiated in politics.  Those unable to accept this should not enter frontline politics.

So to the members of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), members of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and FNMs who are about to be told they will not be chosen by the party to run as candidates, we recommend that you be classy when your time to exit comes.  There is nothing wrong with speaking your mind and expressing surprise when you hear the news.  However, it appears hypocritical to the public for you to all of a sudden think your leader or party evil just because you were denied a nomination.  Life goes on after politics.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

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