by Adrian Gibson

First published in The Tribune on Monday, May 7, 2007 under the byline, Young Man’s View.

ON Wednesday, May 3, the Bahamian people woke up to the smell of baked crabs—PLP crab! Hurricane season came early, as a category five hurricane swept through the Bahamas on May 2 and proved to be a rude awakening for many people.
 
I would like to formally say goodbye to the double dealing, morally bankrupt, scandal-ridden band that led our country for the past five years.
           
At age 22, this was my first time voting and I felt empowered about choosing the future direction of my country.

The Bahamian electorate has matured and become more discerning. Gone are the days when one party stays in power for 25 years, whether they are corrupt or fails to perform—if you flop, then you will be dropped. The Bahamian people have sent a message to all present and future politicians last night—I, for one, got it!
 
Neither the PLP’s abuse and prostitution of ZNSTV—that limited the FNM’s time but yet aired all the PLP rallies—nor the FNM’s struggle to find a staging ground for their rallies after allegations that the PLP was attempting to book locations so as to obstruct rallies, could save them.
 
Among the good things that came out of this election was a significant opposition. For the first time since 1967, the Bahamas will have what appears to be an effective opposition, comprised of experienced and/or aggressive MPs that will truly question the government and ensure that no legislation is rammed through Parliament without proper dialogue and consultation.
 
In our modern political culture, with a sizeable opposition and a government with a small majority, the interests of all Bahamians could truly be protected. Indeed, an opposition comprised of strong personalities, fire crackers and agent provocateurs such as Obie Wilchcombe, Perry Christie, Glennys Hanna Martin and others, could provide a true opposition and be just what the Bahamas needs.
 
At present, the election results stand at 23 for the FNM to 18 for the PLP. The five seats in Grand Bahama that the FNM won was the kicker and the deciding factor of the election, as those seats went five to one in favor of the FNM.
 
I was taken aback by some of the election results as it appears that several of my election predictions may have been way of base—for eg, Picewell Forbes (PLP) easily crushed incumbent Whitney Bastian and the FNM’s Majorie Johnson in South Andros. I thought that Mr Bastian would have retained his seat, however, this seems to have been an election of strictly between the major parties. This election has proven that in our two party political climate, there is little chance of a third party succeeding and that notion doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.
 
It was a great surprise that Malcolm Adderley, an invisible man who was almost voiceless in the House of Assembly during the past five years, retained his seat. I can truly say that I was shocked out of my pants! Mr Adderley must have been doing something in Elizabeth that the rest of us missed, because his victory is mystifying.
 
A website associated with Fred Mitchell predicted last year that hell would freeze over before Mitchell loses. By all indications, Mr Mitchell extinguished the torch in Fox Hill and held on to his seat. I had forecasted that Mr Mitchell would taste the bitterness of defeat, but I applaud him on his jaw-dropping victory.
 
Shane Gibson, also convincingly defeated my good friend Donald Saunders in Golden Gates. Even after the Anna Nicole Smith residency permit scandal, questions about housing contracts and the publication of controversial photos of Gibson and Smith embracing on her bed, Mr Gibson was victorious. Astoundingly, Mr Gibson’s electoral hopes were not daunted by the ghost of Anna Nicole—he’s a lucky fella!
 
In Kennedy, another friend, Michael Turnquest, fell in defeat to Kenyatta Gibson and Dion Foulkes lost to Alfred Gray in MICAL. These youthful candidates all ran very compelling campaigns, however this was not their time.
 
Several giant killers also graced the political horizon this election. In Bamboo Town, Branville McCartney (FNM) KO’d Tennyson Wells even though Mr Wells had occupied the House for 25 years and was previously thought to have had a stranglehold on that constituency. Unless he rejoins the FNM or joins the PLP, it is widely thought that Mr Wells may never be a member of the House of Assembly again. It appears that he has been officially been relegated to the political bone yard.
 
Byron Woodside, who I predicted would lose to Allyson Maynard-Gibson, had a reversal of fortunes as his triumph was one of several shockers on election night. Mrs Gibson, the former Attorney General, who is no stranger to controversy, seems to have taken a spanking in Pinewood.
 
It is also stunning that Leslie Miller, one of the better Cabinet ministers and PLP MPs, went down in defeat to Sidney Collie. I previously predicted that Mr Miller was a shoo-in, and while it does appear that he has been routed, the closeness of the vote tally in Blue Hills could lead to that constituency being contested in election court.
 
Neville Wisdom must have been sedated after he politically annihilated by Dr Hubert Minnis in Killarney. Dr Minnis, the man who delivered Anna Nicole’s controversial baby (Dannielyn), will also delivered Mr Wisdom to the political bone yard.
 
Although I respect Dr Earl Deveaux’s political aptitude it was staggering that he could move from the North Andros constituency to Marathon and subsequently crush incumbent MP Ron Pinder. Mr Pinder was considered to be a good MP and a hardworking Parliamentary Secretary.
 
On May 2, the Bahamian people rejected Perry Christie’s government of broken promises, scandals and indisposition for one that they hope would be more productive, less ethically challenged and more decisive.
 
In a clash of the titans, the people chose Hubert Ingraham’s decisive leadership over Perry Christie’s fumbling, bumbling, nice but feeble leadership style.
 
Although Mr Christie touted the slogan “so said, so done”, in a tight race, the Bahamian people responded—“so said, not done!” In a game of political survival, Hubert Ingraham outwitted, outmaneuvered and outplayed a disheveled Perry Christie, in what will go down in the annals of history as an historic face-off between two of Sir Lynden Pindling’s most illustrious protégés.

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