Dear Editor,
Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader Branville McCartney, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Member of Parliament for Fox Hill Fred Mitchell and a slew of opposition supporters are badgering Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham to take part in a national debate. This proposed debate, which would be aired on national TV and radio, would be between the leaders of the PLP and the Free National Movement (FNM). Of course, McCartney would also take part in the debate. In fact, I understand that he was the first to call for one. According to the press, Opposition Leader Perry Christie has agreed to take part in this debate. If my memory serves me correctly, Christie took part in a political debate in 2002. Ingraham, however, has declined to participate.
Apparently, this has angered some Bahamians, including many intellectuals. I have heard several chronic callers to a popular radio talk show in New Providence voicing their utter displeasure with the prime minister's refusal to participate in the debate with Christie and McCartney. There have also been several prominent journalists from Nassau who are calling on Ingraham to take part in the debate. Even the MP for Fox Hill has called on the prime minister to stop "ducking and dodging and agree to the debate", according to the January 25 edition of The Nassau Guardian. Quite frankly, I don't know why Mitchell and many of the chronic callers to the radio talk shows in New Providence are so up in arms over Ingraham's refusal to debate. It's not like they are going to support Ingraham at the polls. What could the prime minister possibly say in the debate that would change these people's minds and cause them to support him on Election Day?
As far as I am concerned, their minds are already made up on who they will be supporting at the polls. I have noticed that the most vocal advocates for this national debate are opposition supporters. These persons are only interested in humiliating the nation's leader before a live TV audience. That is all there is to it. This has nothing to do with deepening our democracy.
I had heard a PLP radio talk show host telling his guest that Christie is a better orator than Ingraham; and that he would easily win the debate. Well, if this is so, why are these people so interested in getting the prime minister to participate in the debate? I wonder if opposition supporters would have agreed to a live TV debate in the 1970s and 1980s. Personally, I don't think they would have. But now they are eager to get Ingraham to take part in one.
We already have more than enough debates in the House of Assembly. What more do these people want? We need to stop trying to follow America in everything she does. Not because U.S. presidential candidates take part in debates does it mean we must follow suit. The majority of blue collar Bahamians could care less about a national debate. They are more concerned about the government creating opportunities for them to thrive economically. And besides, it is more than likely that the participants of this debate would only be talking above the heads of the common people.
Again, the persons who are badgering Ingraham to participate in this debate are only interested in seeing him get embarrassed on national TV and radio. These people are anxious to call in to the radio talk shows the morning after the debate in order to say how miserably Ingraham performed. I can just imagine the PLP radio talk show hosts giving their analysis of the debate by saying how Christie bested Ingraham and made the leader of the nation look like a dimwit. I don't believe these people when they say that they only want to see our political leaders debate the major issues affecting this country. They are being disingenuous.
- Kevin Evans
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