EDITORIAL: FNM should choose its new leader swiftly

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis will get to stay as the leader of the FNM – for now.

Dr Minnis will keep his role as party leader, and leader of the Opposition, until a new leader is chosen at convention in November, according to party chairman Carl Culmer.

Dr Minnis also intends to retain his Killarney seat and has no plans to quit the House of Assembly.

Last night’s meeting was described as “spirited” with some strong words following the FNM’s worst election defeat.

Some of those strong words came from former Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson, who said that “the FNM and our leadership, the Prime Minister, was not in tune with the Bahamian people” – a Bahamian people which also chose to elect the PLP candidate and not Mr Robinson in his constituency, it should be noted.

It would be easy to hang all the blame on Dr Minnis, but a government is run under a doctrine of collective Cabinet responsibility. If people thought Dr Minnis was on the wrong path, they should not have remained as part of a Cabinet taking that path.

Absolutely, part of the election result was a reaction by voters against Dr Minnis and his style of leadership, but it was also a rejection of those who were part of his government.

Where Mr Robinson is right, however, is when he says that the party lacks succession planning. It should not, for example, take until November for a convention to be held after an election defeat.

It should not be left to a lame duck leader to be the one to hold a new government to account in Parliament.

Mr Culmer has assured us that Dr Minnis will not offer himself for leadership, and for the sake of the FNM’s future, that should be a promise that must be kept.

The public loudly and clearly said no to Dr Minnis and his platform, and it must be a new leader that will take the FNM forward.

The sooner that process can be completed, the better it will be for the FNM – and the better it will be for the country to have an Opposition with a direction.

Progress?

FIVE women. That’s how many women are now in the Cabinet under new Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

That it represents progress from the single woman who held a post in Cabinet under Mr Davis’ predecessor, Dr Hubert Minnis, is undeniable. That it is not enough progress remains the issue.

Only seven women were elected last week, out of a total of 39 seats, all of them for the PLP. The FNM Opposition now has not a single woman in Parliament.

Part of that of course comes down to voters, who they choose to represent them, but that does require enough women being offered the chance to run in winnable seats by the major parties. It starts with how many women are chosen, and that goes back to the selection process and who is doing the choosing.

As Alicia Wallace pointed out in her column this week, 18 percent of Parliament are now women – a rise from 13 percent in 2017, but some way short of the 30 percent target set by regional and international groups, and short too of the 20 percent in 2002.

So we’re not even falling short of international goals, we’re falling short of where we’ve already been.

Back in June, Mr Davis said that the PLP’s slate would be composed of 30 to 40 percent women candidates. That should have seen between 11 and 15 women as candidates. That was not the case.

At the time, he said: “We are not going to run them because they are female and do that gender a disfavour just to run someone because they are female. We want to have candidates who are good and those who are willing to serve and willing to do what is necessary to uplift the Bahamian people in a manner and in accordance to our philosophies.”

Over at the FNM, Dr Minnis in August said that “we especially need more women to run for the House of Assembly and to sit in the Cabinet of The Bahamas”.

Not so urgent a matter, it would seem, with the party selecting only seven women as candidates, the same number as the PLP.

So have we really seen progress? In pure numbers, a little. But where we need to see progress is in the process of selecting candidates to actually give women opportunities.

That is when real progress can have a chance.

Comments

birdiestrachan says...

MR: Minnis does not have what is required to lead the Bahamas. His utterances make no sense. Why would he now say promises are to be kept when he did not keep his own promises.
Why trust one's future to a government that has bought
so much pain it made no sense.
It was Mr: Ingraham who said the Bahamas Air space could not be achieved The PLP said differently. A new hospital can be built even if it is built in stages.

Proverbs "Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom."

Posted 23 September 2021, 8 p.m. Suggest removal

carltonr61 says...

Minnis thinks he is Moses, wanting to be there when the Soros mana falls from the skies. It will not happen. Xi's China did not fall because of Covid and for some reason Soros cursed at Xi. There will be no economic rewards showering down upon nations that followed the Covid destitution and obliteration of all things nationhood, historical and sovereign. The only Build Back Better reset happening around the globe is the slow crawl in the thick mud to scavenge at what was thrown away. Our brave new leadership is subtle to this new reality. We must watch out as the world of travel begins to open. It was not planned for the vaccinated to be tested for Covid. Something did not work out and has become a stumbling block for forced vaccinations making treatment the new viable option. The new mantra that you will need 3/4/5/6 shots to mentain a full vaccination status died in birth for the vaccinated who felt they were being taken for a ride. Thus questioned the vaccine craze.

Posted 24 September 2021, 8:43 a.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

Since Michael Scott proved he was among Minnis's puppet masters, why not make him party leader?

Posted 24 September 2021, 9:17 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

The FNM has a long time to choose a new leader. At least until the next snap election.

Posted 24 September 2021, 12:12 p.m. Suggest removal

Kofi says...

The entire Party needs to be reorganised and professionalised. It is a shame that we do not have training videos for example . The party needs full time folk, organising, draftung policy and policy ideas, and updating party infrastructure, raising money, and oreoaringbthe party for future governance.

Posted 24 September 2021, 2:42 p.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

Who remembers what Mr Ingraham pulled on Mr: Tommy Turnquest in the leadership
race..

Perhaps the doc will pull the same. those FNM fellows wicked like that.

Posted 24 September 2021, 6:03 p.m. Suggest removal

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