by Dr. Donald M. McCartney, D.M.

It appears to me that unless Bahamians take a serious approach and stand to the business as usual approach to the way The Bahamas is governed, this trend will continue much to the destruction of The Bahamas that we use to know.

The Prime Minister and his administration came office and leadership not because of any great achievement by the FNM prior to the last election, but because the people of The Bahamas were fed up with the lack of transparency and generally the bad governance of the PLP.

Despite the fact that there was a lack of stellar achievements of the then opposition FNM, by default the party was given a chance to lead the affairs of state, the Bahamas, and its people for five years.

The present Prime Minister came to office on a wave of goodwill given as an electoral gift and victory by the Bahamian people. Yes, he came to office fully pregnant with raising The Bahamas to a new level and uniting the people under the national flag as Bahamians who were never challenged to put country first ove political allegiance.

At no time since 1967 and 1973 were the people of The Bahamas ready to give birth to a united Bahamas. Instead, their newborn hopes were aborted after ten months of false labour pains.

The Prime Minister would have done well to, as Robert Frost suggested, to have taken the path less taken instead of following in the path of those who preceded him.

Had the Prime Minister done so, he would have been able to leave an unmatched legacy. Instead, the path he chose gave credence to the saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

The Prime Minister, as leader of The Bahamas must come to the realization that there is an awakening in The Bahamas that is akin to and perhaps exceeds the awakening that lead to Manority Rule.

As a consequence of this appatent awakening, Bahamians expect, demand, and require a genuinely different style of governance and leadership that is responsive to their needs.

The Prime Minister must change his course and adhere to reasonable wishes of The Bahamian people. Not only must he adhere to the reasonable wishes of the Bahamian people. He must as matter of policy be prepared to communicate with the the Bahamian people through public fora, by having monthly or by-monthly meetings with members of the press, and monthly chats with the Bahamian people via television and radio. The Prime Minister can do the foregoing because he has chosen not to have any ministerial responsibility.

Failure to implement these changes in the national interest will bring a disastrous end to his continued leadership, and his legacy will be forever tarnisheed.

A change in his leadership style must be seen as the imperative of now!

For the sake of the nation, it hoped that the Prime Minister discard his present cadre of advisors whose aim and objective is buried in the public purse. I want the Prime Minister to take to heart and remember the words of Niccolo Machiavelli, who said, "There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new."

If the Prime Minister considers himself an innovator, it would do him well to understant the nature of those competing for what they think is in his power to give them. As an innovator, the Prime Minister must be painfully and patently aware that despite "those who might have done well under the old conditions: and "those who may do well under the new,:" that his primary interest, focus, and purpose should be that every Bahamian will do well under his leadership of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

The Prime Minister must appoint a cross of section men and women who are among the brightest and best Bahamian minds as his advisors or what is referred to as his "Kitchen Cabinet." While the "Kitchen Cabinet" will not supercede the Executive Cabinet that is mandated by the Constitution, they will nu strong, sound advice that is borne out of their experience, and exposure to the common will of the people. In essence, the "Kitchen Cabinet" must reflect the will of the Bahamian people.

I say to the Prime Minister that where there is life there is always hope!