How political leaders should say goodbye

Sat, May 5th 2012, 09:27 AM

Nomination Day had its customary parades to the various nominating centers. Some were nominating for the first time; others for the final time.
One of those people nominating for the final time was the North Abaco incumbent. Hubert Ingraham said this is his last time running for office and he would never be able to fully repay the people of North Abaco.
"But I shall pay you by installments and I shall pay you for as long as I live," he said, on nominating as a candidate for the community for the eighth time.
Perry Christie, 68, also nominated for the eighth time as a candidate. He is running in the Centreville constituency. It is unclear if this is the final time Christie will run, though the result of the election may force his hand to a certain decision.
It is most likely that either the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) or the Free National Movement (FNM) will win the election. Consequently and realistically, one of the leaders of one of these parties will be facing the end.
When the end comes, you can go with dignity and grace or fight and fight to stay on, which usually causes enmity between leader and party.
On election night, if the leader of the PLP or FNM loses, there is nothing wrong with announcing that that is it. Say, "I'll be retiring and the party will have to schedule an election for a new leader."
What such an announcement would do is set the party in a determined direction (towards a leadership contest) and it would allow the veteran leader the time to take a "victory lap" in the run up to that leadership contest.
The reason we say "victory lap" is because Christie and Ingraham will both be winners regardless of the result of the election. Each has had a great political career and each has contributed much to national development. Each leader deserves to hear those thank-yous before departing to retired life.
Setting things in motion on election night has some other advantages for the losing party. Bahamians love politics. After a general election, there is no greater political theater in the Westminster system than a party leadership race. The losing party would dominate headlines and the country would follow its activities for months in the lead up to that leadership race. It would steal attention away from the new government.
Both Christie and Ingraham could stay on after a loss if they want. But we suspect that the wise leaders have no such desire. So, baring some strange dead heat, after this political season comes to an end we are almost certain to go into another. For political junkies, it will be fun.

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