Dear Editor,
The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) celebrated its one year anniversary on May 12, 2012. This is a noteworthy accomplishment given the respectable support that it received during the last general election. The DNA hosted several town hall meetings, street meetings and even several "mass rallies". They were also able to nominate a full slate of candidates in a general election; an historic feat in Bahamian politics.
I am of the view that because the DNA had many triumphs in just one year that in five more years the sky would be the limit for this party. Success only comes though with continued hard work. Since the general election of May 7, 2012 the DNA's camp has been noticeably quiet. There was the concession speech by Mr. Branville McCartney, the party's current leader and a press statement by current chairman, Mr. Mark Humes.
Nearly one month has passed and the public at large has yet to hear of the plans going forward of the DNA. This in my view will not deepen the DNA's base and is threading on irresponsibility. In fact this nonchalant approach may well cause its base to erode. Has the DNA stopped trying to deepen the democracy in The Bahamas? Has the DNA followed the predictable path of former third parties who lost at the polls and threw in the towel?
Many Bahamians have expressed their desire to vote for the DNA the next time around and many of them say that if the DNA continues its pre-election agenda, that it will at the least be the official opposition in 2017. Many Bahamians are hoping for the demise of the Free National Movement (FNM) and are plotting that in 2017, the FNM will not be elected to office.
I can say emphatically that the FNM is a well-established institution and in 2017 they will again be a major contender for the Government of the Bahamas. The same cannot be currently said for the DNA but if they were to regroup, they will again adversely affect the FNM's performance in 2017.
This is a critical period for the DNA because it must quickly decide if it will continue on with its message of change for The Bahamas or if it will give up its mandate and sink into oblivion. History I can tell you is not on the DNA's side.
The DNA fully expected to win several seats in the last general election and even though the consensus amongst the majority of Bahamians is that the DNA performed well, insiders know that the loss for the DNA was a crushing blow. But if the DNA is really serious about change, the fight will continue. If feelings of disappointment still exist, I want to say that these are normal occurrences. But life must go on. Confucius once said, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall".
The DNA failed to win the government of The Bahamas. The question is, will the loss cause them to rise or has the defeat sealed the DNA's fate? I say to the DNA party leader and its executive members that one month has now passed and it is high time that they get back to the drawing board and make public their course of action. Thirteen thousand Bahamians voted for change and this commitment deserves at least a public announcement of the party's direction.
There have been at least 50 stories that the DNA could have addressed since the May 7 general election. The FNM has already regrouped and they are trying to mount an effective opposition to the current government. They have elected a new leader, deputy leader, chairman and all its party officers. They have set their goal of retaining the government of The Bahamas in 2017. The same cannot be said for the DNA.
One month of silence for a political party, whether it is 40-years-old or one-year-old in my view is an attempt either knowingly or unknowingly at political suicide. I would admonish the DNA to take a page out of the Bahamas Democratic Movement's (BDM) book after the 2007 general election. They were relentless in their opposition to what they perceived as bad policies by the then governing FNM party and the opposition PLP.
The DNA will not be a contender in the next general elections if their silence continues. Whether they have thrown in the towel or not is any one's guess. But they have a responsibility to come to the people and state their future plans.
- Dehavilland Moss
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