Dear Editor,

We, as a people, need to move on from the Baha Mar saga and reassess the way forward for our wonderful nation. More than enough time, effort and energy have been wasted debating the pros and the cons of the Cable Beach ‘white elephant’.

The developer and the prime minister have gratuitously insulted each other over the course of the past few weeks. The contractor says it is prepared to move forward, as is the Export-Import Bank of China. If this is so, what is the insurmountable problem in moving this ‘too big to fail’ project forward?

Whatever has gone wrong has to be analyzed; tweaked and fixed as quickly as possible. This unseemly war of words must cease and desist at the earliest opportunity. It is inconceivable for the prime minister to have threatened to ‘open up’ the files on Baha Mar. This is simply not done by the leader of a sovereign nation which poses as a democracy.

Will future investors, Bahamian or foreign, have to look over their shoulders in negotiating with Christie or any other prime minister? Will confidentiality clauses be breached, at the drop of a hat, by an administration and the putative leaders?

Is it possible that the negotiations between Sarkis and Christie were recorded, without the knowledge of any of the parties thereto? Why did the prime minister make such a public threat in the midst of sensitive negotiations?

The ‘problem’, if there is one, seems to be solely between Sarkis and Christie. The Chinese components are, of course, important, but the relationship between the first two parties has now descended to the petty level of apparent personality conflicts. Sarkis, God bless his soul, has now taken his beef with Christie, et al, to another level.

Some people have read his recent utterances as approaching dangerously close to interference in the internal affairs of The Bahamas. He and his advisors are dead wrong to go down this almost irreversible path. His contractual and financial issues were not caused by this administration, much less Christie. Sarkis, to put it mildly, bit off more than he is able to chew on at any one time. He should never have ventured, at the alleged persuasion of Christie, into a project of this size, with absolutely no prior experience.

The prime minister has a chance to salvage this deal by convening a meeting with all relevant parties here in New Providence to be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, MP, (PLP-Cat Island) as early as this week or, if they wish, they could meet up in New York.

It is unlikely that the hotel and resort will open this year. If that turns out to be the case, the PLP will have no choice other than to reelect Christie, reluctantly, as our leader. Brave will have to wait. He will, of course, be reelected our deputy leader, almost by acclamation.

Christie, God willing, must hang around until the successful opening of Baha Mar. This is his ‘legacy’ and we owe him this one. He must be in the proverbial chair when his baby comes to fruition. Cutting the ribbon is one thing, as always.

The time will come shortly thereafter, however, when the curtains on Christie’s interregnum must come down. There are some who opine that I am too harsh on Christie. Others say that I am trying to pressurize him into giving me a few crumbs from his banquet table.

No beloved, I want or wish nothing from the prime minister except knowing when it is time to step aside. Stay in the House of Assembly but vacate the position of prime minister. When I say that I am a PLP, many ask why I ‘attack’ Christie so much.

The way forward is simple. The prime minister has squandered much political capital over the past few weeks. He appears to be ineffectual and many, inclusive of me, believe him to be so, with all charity. The Bahamas is adrift in many areas and we have to get it right this time around.

The PLP has less than two years to come back to the people. A few badly constructed sidewalks and a selected portion of Small Home Repair contracts will not cut it. The people expected and now demand more as promised from the PLP.

The quickest way forward would be to: settle this public spectacle with Sarkis; shuffle the Cabinet and rationalize the size; move the proposed constitutional bills forward now, before the close of this year; eliminate red tape and totally unnecessary regulations which impede business development and growth for Bahamians; offer a one-acre Crown grant with beneficial title to each qualified Bahamian in the Family Island of his ancestors, with the caveat that the individual be required to commence construction of a permanent commercial or residential structure; revamp our educational plan and reconstruct our tourism model with the expected ‘opening’ of Cuba.

The way forward may appear to be difficult but that perception is all in the mind. The mind is a dangerous thing in that it is capable of conceptualizing and acting out all sorts of good, bad and ugly stuff. There is no selectivity as we seek to build a nation. The prime minister is responsible for a nation. Sarkis, ‘the dreamer’ is lord over a miniscule Baha Mar nation. The time for pettiness at the expense of the unwashed Bahamian masses is passé, for those who understand Creole.

Brave, my beloved brother and patron, time is longer than rope. I have your political back covered for the duration. My public loyalty to you and the common cause are well known and legendary throughout our wonderful nation. I do not, however, and I say it now publicly, wish to place that legendary loyalty amiss.

I have no more time to waste on horses not prepared to go for the fabled Triple Crown (member of Parliament, Cabinet minister and then at the top of the greasy pole as prime minister). We have to do it now. Yes, Christie will be at the opening of Baha Mar next year, but in what capacity? It is so unfortunate that the FNM and the misguided DNA are devoid of workable alternatives.

The way forward does not factor in leaders of a failed era. One obviously ‘half crazy’ columnist for The Nassau Guardian, in my humble opinion, recently wrote a piece questioning Brave’s qualifications to become leader of the iconic PLP and by extension prime minister of this nation. He is a known partisan of the former prime minister and props up his eventual return to front-line politics at every opportunity, as is his right.

The Ingraham era, however, at least according to the hapless Dr. Hubert ‘No’ Minnis (FNM-Killarney) is ‘over’ – or is it that his own era is about to come to an ignoble close? It will be, at the end of the day, the era of Brave, come hell or high water. To God, then, in all things, be the glory.

– Ortland H. Bodie Jr.