Dear Editor,
Marco City MP Michael Pintard was overwhelmingly re-elected as leader of the Free National Movement (FNM).
The question i asked was how did he prevail over the former leader and PM by such a huge margin?
We have seen the difference between POWER and AUTHORITY during this latest Free National Movement (FNM) Convention and election of leaders.
Mr. Michael Pintard, who was chosen in 2021 to lead FNMs into the next election, was challenged by former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis. Many Bahamian voters, were whispering to one another saying, “Where are he going,? He need to ‘GO SIT DOWN’!” Words that our grandma would tell us when we playing the fool in her presence.
In contrast to Mr. Minnis, another former FNM leader and Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas showed up in the person of; Hubert Alexander Ingraham. It is alleged that, when he arrived at the convention center on Saturday morning, he drew shouts and applause and sent a ripple of excitement through the hall. FNMs and most Bahamians know that whoever Mr. Ingraham backs “IS THE MAN or WOMAN for the job” and that individual will prevail or have the upper hand.
Dr. Minnis must have forgotten the support Mr. Ingraham gave him to become FNM leader and Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas in the 2017 election campaign. I was shocked when Dr. Minnis as PM rejected Mr. Ingraham’s help during devastating hurricane Dorian and the fiasco that followed with the dead and cleanup support.
In my opinion the then-PM really wanted to show the Bahamian public that “THE INGRAHAM ERA” was over. But the statement made was all to Dr. Minnis’ detriment.
A wise writer said: “Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, and what they look like.” (James 1: 23).
This FNM convention gave FNMs a reality check of what it means to have Power* & Authority** (the two are not the same).
* Power is considered to be acquired and, in leadership, it generally refers to knowledge and expertise of an individual.
** Authority, on the other hand, is considered to be given by some form of organization and is attached to the position instead of to the individual.
In the FNM many fail to know that Hubert Alexander Ingraham has the Authority. Ingraham has the legal and formal right to give orders and commands, and take decisions. He has had three FULL terms as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas on record. So I understood where Ingraham was coming from when the reporter asked the former PM about Dr. Minnis’ ERA.
I believe Mr. Ingraham was waiting for that Minnis era question for some time, because he was quick to sarcastically reply: “Did he have an era?”
Signed,
SG
