As the dust settles on May 10, 2017, there will be continued discussion on the “why” aspect of the event and “how” the Progressive Liberal Party got to that juncture, we will see what is apparent and what accounted for the loss in practical terms but the underlying reasons may not receive the exposure that is needed if we are to understand the full context of what was seen by many as a form of judgement; especially on those who tended to presume that they were on God’s side, and that they were speaking and working on his behalf.
People get reactionary when the term “ judgement” is used, but the history of politics in the Bahamas has always had that particular element running amok, among its practitioners. The advent of modern politics in this nation saw the embrace of a Judeo-Christian philosophy by those who would lead their people out of the bondage of the past. “All the Way”, became a dominant theme for the liberators. This effective political slogan was taken from the 8thchapter of Deuteronomy, the full context of the phrase being, ”All the way the Lord shall lead us”. The heavy involvement of local churches especially before Independence saw a separation of that involvement for some after the PLP reneged on a promise it had made leading up to the 1972 Election to allow all of the present Gambling licenses to expire. They had promised in an interview that A.D.Hanna gave to the Miami Herald that they would not go into Independence with that burden. Somehow, that view was changed, resulting in the political sacrifice of one of the nation’s most accomplished sons, a man even though a minister of the Gospel was so brilliant in other respects that he taught mathematics at University level in the United Kingdom; he was also the minister of Finance who succeeded Sir Stafford Sands. I have always had a problem mentioning the name of Carlton Elijah Francis, to me he has always been a reminder of what is wrong with Bahamian politics; especially when political and church leaders agree on a course of action that is not God honoring.
It is at this point that my personal view on the “why” of May 10,2017 begins. Having first adopted a Judeo-Christian paradigm to frame their political activities, the PLP bookended itself with the proclamation the Lynden Pindling would be their “Moses”. Unknowingly, they also placed themselves into a 40 year dynamic regarding the expectations that comes with making such a pact. This was cemented by the inclusion into our preamble with a commitment to Christian values that is found nowhere in the preamble of other nations; we had set ourselves apart as a “peculiar” nation. What happened next was sort of downhill. The decisions of the 1970’s were followed by a series of warnings, the most noticeable being the U.S. decision to use the Bahamas as a drug transshipment route in the early 1980’s, many saw it as a Sovereign God removing his hand of protection from us to remind us of who we were and the agreement we had made with Him. However, this warning went unheeded by those who took us out of “Egypt”, hence the landslide victory of the Free National Movement in 1992. Having regained their footing in 2002, with the help of the economic downturn that accompanied 9/11, the PLP was returned to power with a major victory only to be rejected in 2007. You would think that the victory in 2012 would have brought a clarity to the politics of what is probably the political party that is still seen by many as having a most sound philosophy, especially on the issue of “Bahamianization”(if that is really a word that is recognized), but 2017 has seen a loss of such a magnitude that for the first time in our history a sitting Prime Minister has lost his seat in Parliament.
Here is what I think. 2012 was the 39th year of our Independence and God in His mercy, had given the most famous political party in Bahamian history the opportunity to redeem itself. I remembered getting the newly elected Prime Minister in a corner during a repast that was held at the home of the late Al Jarrett and asking him if he had plans of establishing his legacy during this term. He had promised me that this was on his list of priorities. I know that he read everything I wrote and I had espoused the 40 year scenario on a couple of occasions in my letters that made their way to the opinion pages. He has been my representative for more than thirty and I felt that I had a duty to speak to him on the matter. If the view that I hold is valid it may mean that the next time we see the PLP at the head of this nation will be in the year 2057; if the FNM does its job. However, Politics being what it is, this change could happen sooner than later. I am reminded of another numerical sequence involving the number 25; 1942 Burma Road, 1967 Majority Rule, 1992 Free National Movement victory, 2017 Free National Movement victory. Maybe it is just the way I think, but if there is one thing that is good about May 10,2017, the Progressive Liberal Party has been given an opportunity to retool and get it’s act together as it goes ahead. We have also come to the end of an era, but another has just begun and hopefully but prayerfully we as a nation continue to remind ourselves that the people we elect really work for us and they are not free to do as we please.
I had hoped to end this letter on a pleasant note but the newly appointed Attorney General was asked a question about the Bahamar sales agreement and I found his answer “slightly” ambiguous. We have known each other for a while and I had been given the job by his grandmother of making sure that he and his brother stayed out of trouble as young boys in Ridgeland Park, West; and I take my commitments very seriously.
Sincerely,
Edward Hutcheson
May 15, 2017
