The Over the past three days, former PLP MP Phillip Galanis provided an interesting, yet scary assessment of the current state of affairs inside the PLP government. While the FNM has continuously provided compelling evidence of the lackluster and ineffectiveness leadership of the current administration, validation of the same by one of the PLP’s prominent members lends credibility to our own observations. The Bahamian people would do well to remember that Mr. Galanis’ recent account of day-to-day operations of the current Christie Administration is eerily reminiscent of the first Christie Administration.
According to Mr. Galanis, Prime Minister Christie does not appear to have control over his government or his Cabinet and stated emphatically “there’s no discipline, no accountability to ensure that they don’t run amok of the whole principle of collective responsibility.” In recent weeks several Cabinet Ministers have made public statements that differ substantively from the position of the Cabinet as expressed by the Prime Minister.
Galanis acknowledges that the public is disenchanted with this government’s performance on key issues. The public has concluded that the government has failed to live up to its election promises inclusive of reducing crime, growing the economy, providing mortgage relief, and improving our education system among other things. In addition, the government has also failed to take any serious steps toward investigating alleged instances of corruption among its own members. Mr. Galanis rightly suggested that the failure of the Prime Minister to address these matters, which are of vital importance to the Bahamian people, speaks directly to an overwhelmed and out of touch leader who is out of ideas, solutions and lacks a sense of urgency. It is incumbent upon the Bahamian people therefore, to ensure that come May 2017 or before, that Prime Minister Christie and his government’s contract is not renewed.
In his recent commentary, Mr. Galanis also indicated that the government must ‘turn it around’ in the next 8-10 months or the PLP will lose. The current PLP administration came to office almost 40 months ago on a promise of being ‘ready on day one’. It is tragically ironic, that 40 months later the proverbial goal post indicating when the PLP will begin to deliver on its election promises continues to move. In the lead up to the 2012 General Elections, Prime Minister Christie said to the Bahamian people that he had learned from the mistakes of Christie Administration 1.0 and was ready to lead once again and remedy those mistakes in Christie Administration 2.0. At present, the Bahamian people have not had the good fortune to have their daily lives impacted in any meaningful way by this Christie-led PLP government. There is no doubt therefore that The Bahamas is presently suffering from what Galanis dubbed as the ‘Christie fatigue’ factor.
This so-called ‘Christie fatigue’ is two-fold. On the one hand, it speaks to the phenomenon whereby Bahamians en masse are extremely weary of the constant rhetoric, inaction, lack of discipline and shuffling of Prime Minister Christie and his government. Christie shuffles in the face of increasing murders and serious crime, increasing unemployment, increasing cost of living, and an ever increasing misery and despair index. On the other hand, it speaks to the fact that the Prime Minister at his advanced age and with his lengthy time in public life, appears to be very tired and worn out. In the midst of this noticeable fatigue, after 41 consecutive years in the Parliament of The Bahamas (Senate and House of Assembly), 8 of which have been spent as Prime Minister, Mr. Christie seems poised to give it another go in 2017.
While a number of Christie’s Cabinet members wish to challenge him for Leader at their upcoming convention in November, they have determined that he is virtually unbeatable given the undemocratic way he has stacked the deck with convention delegates. We are confident that should Mr. Christie prevail at the PLP’s convention in November 2015, the Bahamian people will retire him in May 2017 or before. However, it is likely that Mr. Christie will be given another opportunity to lead the PLP despite his lack of discipline, scarcity of ideas and obvious fatigue. We are certain if Mr. Christie remains it will not elevate the discussion about the way forward for the country, nor will it increase the chances that Bahamian interests will be placed front and center on the PLP’s agenda.
The only thing that can be worse than a Christie victory at the upcoming PLP convention would be the elevation of his current deputy Phillip Davis as his replacement. Mr. Davis has failed to address the most basic needs of his constituents in Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador. At present, there is no potable water in Cat Island ($13 million required to accomplish this), Rum Cay ($225,000) and parts of San Salvador (1.4 million required). The infrastructure of Cat Island and Rum Cay has resulted in severely limited economies, and hence a brain drain. Many houses still reflect the residual effect of Hurricane Irene which passed through those islands more than four and a half years ago.
Davis’ long time excuse that he did not have the power of government behind him is no longer relevant as the PLP has been the government for almost 3 and a half years now. Furthermore, Davis is Deputy Prime Minister and also heads several government Departments capable of assisting his constituents-namely Ministry of Works, Water and Sewage and Urban Renewal. In addition, his performance as Deputy Prime Minister has been equally unimpressive and ineffective. He has misled the House of Assembly on important matters and fabricated statistics relative to employment figures. He and Christie are squandering a great opportunity to engage our people and lead the charge to transform our country for the better.
