Edward Hutcheson
Hubert Ingraham would have had a problem, being the “heir apparent” for the Progressive Liberal Party so I do not think the argument that has erupted about the choosing of Perry Christie or Hubert Ingraham, as heir apparent will get any traction. The “class structure” of the PLP would have no place for a person like Mr.Ingraham. We forget the beginnings of this struggle. It was in 1984 when A.D.Hanna suggested that it was time for him and the then Prime Minister to step aside and have Christie and Ingraham replace them at the helm of the Party. Pindling, did not agree and made the decision to fire both men. The internal struggles of the party are well documented so it is unfair to twist the truth about persons who have passed on. Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield’s role in our history does not have to be interfered with or re-written, he will be remembered as one of the best Prime Ministers that this nation never had. One of his greatest contributions would be the role of mentor to the present Prime Minister. The opportunity Hubert Ingraham got to listen and learn from two leaders who gave different perspectives and examples as what leadership could be, may have allowed him to emulate what was best of both men; without acquiring any of their frailties.
The timeline must be recognized regarding Sir Lynden and more importantly the relationship between he and Mr.Ingraham. The political “relationship” and the personal relationship between the two men cannot given equal weight, because even now, the politicians we see at each other’s throats in the public arena, cause many of us to scratch our heads when we see the amount of laughter being exchanged between them when they are out of the political spotlight. When Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling gave his farewell speech to Parliament in 1997 he had enough time to reflect on the “pain” of 1992, and he could have chosen to say other things about his protégé . However, he may have been aware that the current Prime Minister’s leadership abilities were the sum total of what he and his friend Sir Cecil had produced.
I am of the opinion that Sir Lynden’s suffering had more to do with what he allowed to happen because of political power and the negative impacting of close friends by political associates may have led to issues of conscience in the waning years. He was a good person by all accounts but politics came first. If you had the chance to witness the exit speech of Governor General Arthur D.Hanna, some time ago you would have witnessed a moment in time, that captured a poignancy that was imprinted in the minds of some who watched. The camera moved from Ingraham to Christie and then back to Hanna; and we wonder what the nation would look like now if a different choice was made in 1984.
May 1, 2012
