EDITOR, The Tribune.

I would like to congratulate Mr Darron Cash for his successful bid at winning the chairmanship post of the Free National Movement (FNM). I think the elections of Cash, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis (Killarney) and Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner (Long Island) represents a paradigm shift within the power structure of the FNM party. Minnis took a lot of flack from diehard Ingrahamites for saying that the Ingraham era is over

But I believe that the new FNM leader is on to something. Maybe these rabid Ingrahamites feared what would become of the FNM after Ingraham. Whatever their reasons are for giving their new leader a hard time, at least these people should admit that the FNM must sooner or later fend for itself without Ingraham being at the helm. The election of Cash, in my view, is a turning point or a watershed moment for the FNM party. As well, the overwhelming rejection of former Cabinet minister and senator in the Ingraham administration Dion Foulkes is an obvious indication that the party is ready to move in a different direction.

According to press reports, Cash bested Foulkes by 70 votes. Cash received 120 votes to Foulkes’ 50 votes.

Cash’s victory over Foulkes should not be interpreted as insignificant, by any stretch of the imagination. Foulkes is a political heavyweight in the FNM party. He was active in the party when it was led by Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield and Sir Kendal G L Isaacs.

His father, Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes, was one of the Dissident Eight who broke away from the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) administration under Sir Lynden O Pindling and formed the Free PLP, later to be renamed the Free National Movement. What’s more, Foulkes was Tommy Turnquest’s deputy leader of the FNM in the run-up to the 2002 general election.

I vividly recall hearing former FNM leader and prime minister Hubert Ingraham proclaiming him as prime minister material. Foulkes was also chairman of the FNM. And he was elected to the House of Assembly on two occasions, 1992 and 1997. By all accounts, Foulkes’ political resume is more substantial than Cash’s. That is why I considered him to be a front runner in the chairmanship race against Cash. But the overwhelming majority of the members of the National Central Council decided to back Cash instead of Foulkes, a man whom I consider to be a quintessential FNM.

Why did Foulkes lose the chairmanship race? And why did he lose by such a wide margin? I think it has to do with Foulkes’ inability to win a seat in Parliament. We must bear in mind that Foulkes hasn’t been a member of Parliament since May 2002

The last time Foulkes won a seat in the House of Assembly was in March of 1997.

That was 15 years ago. Fifteen years ago, Sir Lynden was still alive, Bill Clinton was the president of the United States of America and the citizens of New Providence were just getting useg to cable television. In a word, that was a very long time ago.

While I can appreciate Foulkes’ disappointment in the chairmanship race results, he must understand the mindset of the Council members. Their party was badly defeated in the May 7 general election, and had lost two by-elections, in 2010 and 2012. Perhaps the disappointing results of the recent North Abaco by-election has made the hierarchy of the FNM party finally realised that something desperately needs changing in their party.

I don’t care who you are, at some point you get tired of losing. It is likely that party stalwarts were thinking that if Foulkes couldn’t win a seat in the House of Assembly in 2012, 2007 and 2002, then chances are he will not be able to help the FNM party win the 2017 general election. I truly believe that Council members were thinking that Foulkes hadn’t won an election in 15 years, and were not willing to give him such an important post at this crucial juncture in their party’s history. Who knows? 

As an experienced politician, Foulkes knows very well that in politics it all has to do with being able to appeal to the masses. The overwhelming majority of blue-collar working class and underprivileged Bahamians may not have college degrees or a lot of money, but they have something that every politician wants every five years: votes. For some odd reason or another, stalwart FNMs such as Foulkes, Carl Bethel and Tommy Turnquest are not resonating with underprivileged and working class voters as they used to in the nineties. Maybe the three should use the next four years to connect with these people. 

That said, I hope that Foulkes will continue to assist the party that has given him the opportunity to play an active role in frontline politics. I commend him for all that he has done for the FNM and the country. And now that the leadership question of the FNM has finally been settled, the new leaders must find ways to resonate with the grassroots in the inner city communities of Nassau. I have said over and repeatedly that the PLP has a monopoly on this vital demographic. Without the support of the people of the lower socio-economic strata, the FNM will continue to struggle to win general elections. The FNM must prove to the masses that it is also the party of the small man, not just the PLP. I hope Chairman Cash and the other FNM leaders heed my advice.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport, Grand Bahama,

November 17, 2012.