By MALCOLM STRACHAN

THE unveiling of candidates for the upcoming election has inevitably got tongues wagging – but the list of MP hopefuls for the FNM can tell us as much about how the party intends to govern as the chances of them doing so.

When a party sets out its field of candidates, it has to do two things – it has to plan first of all to try to win the election, but then it also has to plan for which voices it wants in government.

That is why, for all the talk at the FNM rally on Thursday, of youth and change, there were plenty of old heads in the mix too.

Arriving in government with a host of neophytes who have no idea how government functions in operation is a guarantee of getting off to a slow start.

Worse, it can lead to embarrassing (or outright illegal) stumbles such as the current raft of incumbents who according to the Public Disclosures Chairman, Bishop Victor Cooper, were unaware of the legal requirement to publicly disclose.

That excuse was shot down back in 2022 by then press secretary Clint Watson, who said all MPs were made aware of the requirement during training at the start of the new administration’s term – but it does highlight the kind of stumble those new to the job might face.

So for every Omar Isaacs in the FNM unveiling, there was a Michael Foulkes. There were other old heads in the mix too – the likes of Darren Henfield and Marvin Dames, along with incumbents such as Adrian White and Kwasi Thompson.

There are of course ways in which seasoned politicians can be added to an administration without jumping through the hoop of an election – or after failing to jump through the hoop if voters say no. One way is through the Senate – but there are limited numbers there, and parties may not wish their hands tied for those spots if they want to use such positions to bring through the next generation of politicians.

The Senate is a curious function of our government. Elsewhere, such as in the UK, the upper chamber, the House of Lords, is full of veterans. The point of the Lords, in many ways, is to ensure such wisdom and experience is not lost, but rather brought to bear in a way that can improve legislation. Too often, our Senate is not much more than a rubber stamp operation – though the presence of senior government figures can help to clarify the rollout of some aspects of legislation.

The Coalition of Independents also rolled out several candidates over the weekend, the only one with experience being Iram Lewis, who jumped ship from the FNM before he was invited to walk the plank. He will be hoping the Central Grand Bahama voters will stay with him, even if he didn’t stay with the party.

Some hay has been made over the changing of political allegiances already. Notably, the former DNA leader Arinthia Komolafe was named as the FNM candidate in Carmichael, seeking to unseat Keith Bell presuming he retains his nomination. That was an eye-catching political fight from the early list of likely clashes.

And then there was Jeremy Sweeting, chosen for Central and South Abaco. In classic political mischief, Attorney General Ryan Pinder quickly posted an image of Mr Sweeting in previous years at a PLP event.

Mr Sweeting did indeed, it would seem, once lean towards the PLP, perhaps as a possible candidate – but times change, and it does not take much to brush such things off, and say you left for a reason, and so might the voters.

You could say the same for the political journey of Vaughn Miller, from FNM to PLP, or previously Renward Wells in rerverse. There have been plenty of others – you know the names down the years.

Because after all, it is the voters who switch the most. We have seen the pendulum swing one way then the other time and again, unseating each government after a single term.

Just because someone showed support once for one party does not mean necessarily they have been political turncoats – though there have been those. Sometimes it just means the first party did not live up to their hopes, so they moved on, just like voters do.

Still, this first slate of FNM candidates has tantalised the appetite for the real event. It is like looking at the card at a boxing event.

That battle between Komolafe and Bell looks intriguing – but over in Fox Hill, if Fred Mitchell stays in the game and runs again, then he looks an easy winner against Dr Nicholas Fox.

How about that West End and Bimini battle between newcomer Omar Isaacs and the PLP’s Kingsley Smith, whose arrival since the by-election after Obie Wilchcombe’s early passing has hardly set the world alight.

Chester Cooper will not likely be trembling in his boots at the challenge of Debra Moxey-Rolle in the Exumas and Ragged Island, but Marvin Dames looks an early favourite if McKell Bonaby keeps the nomination in Mount Moriah. The same can be said of Darren Henfield in South Beach against Bacchus Rolle – even if there is grumbling in that constituency about whether he was the favoured candidate.

John Pinder is making noises that suggest he might not run again in Central and South Abaco, so who will go up against Jeremy Sweeting, who has been a noted community leader in the area for a long time?

And has Zane Lightbourne done enough in his Yamacraw constituency to keep the votes ahead of Elsworth Johnson?

Some of the races have real voltage – some have a lack of electricity all round.

And then there remains the wild card of Dr Hubert Minnis – who at the weekend had his own event, with faces such as Branville McCartney and Desmond Bannister in attendance. He posted to social media with the heading: “Proven Leadership. Trusted Vision. Killarney stays with Minnis.”

Dr Minnis is still making all the noises to suggest he is very much staying in the fight. But on his own or is anyone joining him?

One thing about our country’s politics – it is never dull.