Dear Editor,
The elections are upon us. As I move around I can hear and feel the frustration that engulfs our society. We are angry at the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM) because we feel that our present economic, crime and social crisis is the result of, or contributed to by, years of failures by respective governments.
As enunciated by then Senator Barack Obama in 2008, "Those who drove the bus into the ditch are asking us to re-engage them to drive the bus out." Yet, we are afraid to step into unknown territory. My own suspicion is that our fears are unwarranted and that the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) can be no worse than the PLP or FNM, and in fact may very well do better than either party has done in the last 10 to 15 years.
Although each party claims to have taken in new blood, they are still restricted by the stranglehold of the existing order. They have each promised to pass leadership to a new generation. Even if that is true, left unchecked it will pass to the chosen without consideration of the best. Even though the DNA is building support nationwide, the nature of our system is such that even if you get 33 percent of the vote in every constituency, you will still end up with no seats. Each of the traditional parties already boasts that simply giving a candidate their designation means 30 percent to 40 percent of the vote.
I would like to offer a solution that allows us to venture out of our caves safely and yet send a message to our leaders. You do not need to abandon your parties and you need not fear more change than you feel you can accommodate right now. What it does require is for the electorate to think independently and act for the good of the country as a whole without blind allegiance to one or the other traditional political party.
Imagine what would happen if at least five seats in the House of Assembly were not held by either of the two giant parties. It would be a clear message to both parties to straighten up and fly right. It would give us in the future greater and clearer alternatives. It would give us a chance to view and evaluate. You will no longer be asked to choose between "the lesser of two evils". I have considered the candidates in the DNA as best I could and whilst I personally would have no objection to a DNA government, I reluctantly accept that it may be a little too much for the cautious ones among us to stomach at this point. If I may, I put forward five candidates in New Providence and two in the Family Islands for your exceptional consideration, bearing in mind the undoubted specific effect they can have in shaking things up and the support they may already have in their constituencies.
This is not to belittle other DNA candidates not chosen or even the opponents of those chosen, but really in consideration of the effect. Think of what these people will contribute to the quality of the debate in the House of Assembly. New Providence: Branville McCartney -- Bamboo Town; Christopher Mortimer -- Nassau Village; Ben Albury -- Montagu; Madlene Sawyer -- Southern Shores; Wayne Munroe -- Mt. Moriah. Family Islands: Roscoe Thompson -- South Abaco; and Randy Butler -- North Andros and The Berry Islands. Think about it, you can safely register your disapproval without leaving your party. You need not fear that it will result in an inexperienced government and you will have a unique opportunity to shake up politics in this country forever.
If this is acceptable to you and you live in those constituencies, then you should seriously consider voting for them. If you do not live in those constituencies but know people who do, perhaps you should seek to convince them of the wisdom of this. As the song says, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one". - Luther H. McDonald
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