Political tribalism in The Bahamas is alive and kicking, and was well demonstrated in news reports Tuesday, February 18th past, (The Tribune), and the following day (The Tribune and The Bahama Journal).
In this column of June 13th, 2002, we stated that “politics in the Bahamas is indeed an enigma – totally confusing. We then posed the question, “What and whom can one believe in Bahamian politics, or is it that political leaders can never be believed?” The article titled, “Politics of Regression,” tried to convey something of the impact that the politics of deception must have on young people especially. Young people are very impressionable and idealistic, but because they are constantly being bombarded by questionable “truth” coming from parental, political and religious leadership, they become very disillusioned and cynical, which eventually lead to indifference, disconnectedness, confusion and anger.
In the news items referred to above, we saw the FNM accusing the PLP government of wasting the taxpayers’ money, by hosting a reception that it felt was a private social affair. The Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, which underwrote the cost, said that the accusers had spent almost the exact amount for the same social event when they were the government three years previous. The leader of the FNM stated that the FNM had never hosted an event like the one hosted by the present government.
In enters the Progressive Liberal Party’s Secretary General to assist the government in its defence. The accusations he said were “false and baseless,” and then proceeds to tell the accuser to face the reality that “his political career is over” He then proceeded to counter-attack by resurrecting questionable dealings of the accuser and another former colleague cabinet minister. Whom does one believe in these mud-slinging, tribal fights; and is this the beginning of open tribal warfare? If it is, then we are surely in for a long and nasty battle of arrogance and belittlement. Will it ever end?
In the December 19, 2001 column of Viewpoints, titled “An Ethics Committee with Teeth”, we tried to suggest a means by which we could extricate ourselves from the political pigsty of mud slinging. The emotional and mental harm that the constant diet of such negative, highly-profiled new scenarios, can only create a nation of negative people who would probably grow to despise and disrespect themselves and the very institutions that should offer them some hope and security.
One would think, we stated in that December article, that politics would be the vehicle for enhancing and bringing out the best in people. It should therefore attract leaders who are imbued with a spirit of service, a sense of honour and a deep and abiding love for people and country. Trustworthiness, truth and a sense of service above party and self appear to elude people who ascend to power after long years of oppression.
We toy around with words like democracy, honourable House of Assembly, Honourable member and minister, and my learned and esteemed colleague. We seem not to be making much headway beyond imitation of the inherited Westminster parliamentary system of democracy. We keep deluding ourselves that we have been formed by the long history of the British people; and so blind ourselves to other possibilities of raising ourselves from the quagmire of deception, corruption and arrogance that come with power.
The founding fathers of America had the wisdom and vision to recognize the seduction of political power, and the downside to which it could lead in the creating despots. They therefore created a living constitution with entrenched safeguards against the abuse of power. The power they felt should reside in the people, and that should not be left in the hands of a few mortal men.
As is seen time and time again, the temptation becomes too great for the above and misuse of power not only in government but also in big powerful businesses like Enron in the USA. Power corrupts, as the saying goes; and it seems to do so even more among oppressed people who have access to power.
Since we can’t seem to trust ourselves with power in governance, we strongly suggest as we have done on other occasions, that we do as the Americans have done. Their way of life and their governmental systems, by virtue of our geography and the strength of the Americans, have conditioned us to imitate them. Let’s establish a sitting ethics committee to be the watchdog of our Parliament, just as we have established a Financial Intelligence Unit to be the watchdog over our banking system. In this way we are less apt to become bogged down in the heavy, choking atmosphere of corruption and mismanagement.
Instead of government representatives recklessly throwing charges and counter charges of mismanagement and corruption behind the immunity of Parliament, let them testify under oath before a standing ethics committee in public hearings. We guarantee that will stop a lot of the underhanded stuff that goes on and have gone on for more than 35 years. We owe it to our people to ensure a greater degree of integrity in government.
ViewPoints, The Bahama Journal
