2007 WikiLeaks cable Bahamas: Hubert Ingraham the opposition leader pledged that, if elected, he would make improvements in the Bahamian judiciary to speed up trials and get more criminals off the streets...

Ingraham: Many judges incompetent

BY CANDIA DAMES
NG News Editor
thenassauguardian
candia@nasguard.com




During a final courtesy call with then U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas John Rood days before the 2007 general election, Free National Movement (FNM) leader Hubert Ingraham remarked that many of the judges in The Bahamas were “simply not competent, having been appointed for political reasons,” a U.S. diplomat claimed in one of the cables in the batch of diplomatic documents obtained exclusively by The Nassau Guardian through WikiLeaks.

“Ingraham acknowledged that the Bahamian courts were dysfunctional, and needed changes in leadership,” the embassy official wrote.

According to the cable, Ingraham said he did not have a problem with extraditing major drug dealers, but believed that small time drug dealers should be prosecuted locally.

Ingraham reportedly told the ambassador that cases move too slowly and many criminals are out on bail committing new offenses. “He also noted that Bahamian prosecutors are often wary of taking high profile cases to jury due to possible tampering, and that in non-jury trials the maximum sentence for a drug offense is five years.”

The cable revealed that Ingraham and the ambassador sparred over the case of five baggage handlers arrested in December 2006 in Florida on suspicion of drug trafficking.

“Ingraham made it clear he believes the Nassau Flight Services baggage handlers were set up,” the cable said.

“The ambassador stated that the training (the baggage handlers were going on) was routine, as others went and came back, adding that if individuals who commit crimes against U.S. law come to the U.S., they will be arrested.”

The cable said Ingraham stated that his sources at the airport indicated otherwise.

He further indicated that if he was prime minister, the arrests occurring in this manner would have caused a serious bilateral issue, according to the cable.

Ingraham was quoted as saying, “If they committed the crimes here, they should be tried here”.
The cable said he did not dispute the right of the United States to arrest them once they had entered U.S. territory.

In the end, the ambassador and Ingraham agreed to disagree on the manner of the arrests.

According to the cable, Deputy Chief of Mission Dr. Brent Hardt noted that other baggage handlers who did not travel to Florida in December had been picked up by the police but had not been charged.

He asked Ingraham how he would respond as prime minister if individuals engaged in such acts were unable to be prosecuted.

It is then that Ingraham allegedly made the comment about the dysfunctional court system.

“The opposition leader pledged that, if elected, he would make improvements in the Bahamian judiciary to speed up trials and get more criminals off the streets, the cable said.

The state of the judiciary was just one of several issues Ingraham discussed with the Americans, according to that cable.

Discussing aviation, Ingraham reportedly promised to work closely with the Federal Aviation Administration on aviation issues if elected, and stated, according to the cable, that he “knew where his bread was buttered.”

The cable said the ambassador raised the issue of airport security and safety problems with Ingraham, stating that he remained concerned by both security vulnerabilities and overall airport management.

He told Ingraham that he would support the imposition of a 90-day review period for the airport if no progress is made on addressing long-standing security concerns, though he acknowledged that the government did now appear to be giving the issue serious attention, the 2007 cable said.

Ingraham reportedly asked the ambassador to elaborate on the problems.

The cable said: “Not needing any further prodding, the ambassador outlined several problems, including: The aesthetic appearance of the facilities, the slow pace in processing passengers, radar problems, and endemic security concerns.

“Ingraham stated that Minister of Transport and Aviation (Glenys) Hanna-Martin was ‘out of her depth’ and that there is no direction being given to civil aviation.”

The cable said charges that his government had purchased a radar system that did not work (the ASR-9) concerned Ingraham.

He reportedly noted that his government had purchased the system upon a U.S. recommendation, and added that if he wins the election, he would make changes at the airport, to include getting the new radar system repaired and on line.

The cable said Ingraham also stated that he supports FAA running the Flight Information Region, observing that he had learned through hard experience that it would be too risky to defy the U.S. on such a sensitive safety issue.

The Christie administration had pledged to gain full control of The Bahamas’ airspace and had promised that such an effort would result in tens of millions of dollars in additional revenue for the government. However, this was never achieved.

INGRAHAM ON POLITICS

The cable said that turning to the political scene, Ingraham observed that he would support Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) leader Perry Christie (then prime minister) for many jobs, but prime minister was not one of them.

As he did when he sat down with a U.S. diplomat in 2003, Ingraham in 2007 described Christie as “fatally disorganized and incapable of running a government.”

The cable noted that the day before the meeting with the ambassador, the press widely quoted an exchange between Christie and Ingraham in which Ingraham referred to Christie as “impotent."

“Ingraham wryly noted that he was referring only to matters of governance,” the cable said.

“He said that in his view, the PLP believes it has ‘the right to govern’ and that the FNM victories in 1992 and 1997 were accidents.

“He expressed the view that some of the investment projects such as Bimini Bay were too large, and that the environmental bureaucracy was unworkable.”

Despite prodding, neither Ingraham nor Desmond Bannister, then chairman of the FNM, would reveal the FNM's budget for the upcoming election, the cable said.

It noted that parties are free to take money from any source, and Ingraham said that most of the money comes from businesses.

Persons outside the country can also contribute to parties, and he said that normally only outsiders with interests in The Bahamas do so, according to the cable.

“Ingraham also said that he had enough money for the campaign, but not all that he could use. Typically, money tends to flow in at the last minute when it is too late to deploy effectively, he pointed out,” the cable said.

Observing that the PLP was running many more radio advertisements than the FNM this early in the campaign, he reportedly suggested that this reflected their anxiety about the election.

Much of the money used for campaign paraphernalia is actually spent in the United States to buy T-shirts and hats, he noted, according to the cable.

RACES TO WATCH

The cable said the FNM leader said he expected a short campaign of 24 days, with elections called soon after Easter.

Ingraham provided the ambassador with a "scorecard" of key races to watch to determine the outcome of the 2007 election, the cable added.

“In Fox Hill, he predicted that if the PLP wins that seat, they are going to probably win the election, but he also felt that Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell would be defeated by his candidate,” the cable said.

“He also noted his surprise that Tourism Minister (Obie) Wilchcombe may be in trouble in his own constituency.

“On the other hand, if Housing Minister Neville Wisdom is reelected, that would be a sign the PLP was on its way to victory.”

The diplomat wrote in that 2007 cable that the FNM expects to win the Exuma seat being contested by former Bahamian Ambassador to the U.S. Joshua Sears.

According to the cable, Ingraham noted that the polls in 2002 were more accurate than often acknowledged, adding that the lesson from that campaign was that undecided voters usually broke against the government.

“Polls are now being taken on the larger islands, but Ingraham refused to divulge the results,” the cable said.

“Ingraham said the PLP strategy was to increase the negative perceptions of him and make him a central election issue.”

The American diplomat wrote that Ingraham is a very polarizing figure and PLP ads are clearly targeting him personally.

“(Ingraham) alluded that many people are personally benefiting from the PLP government and do not want the gravy train to end with an FNM victory,” the cable said.

“Ingraham dismissed the PLP's use of the race card, linking his party to the former colonial UBP party, stating that he had credibility on the issue and noted that Christie's own grandfather was white.”

In the comment section of the cable, the American noted that Ingraham is “always engaging and never at a loss for words.”

“Ingraham seemed very comfortable on the issues and did not shy away from disagreeing with the ambassador, as in the case of the airport arrests,” the cable said.

“While he pledged cooperation on aviation issues and promised to make the judicial system work better, he also made clear he would not hesitate to disagree with the U.S. if he felt Bahamian interests were not being well served.”

The diplomat added: “Ingraham conveyed the self-assurance of a leader who has been in charge before and believes he soon will be again.

“From the United States’ perspective, an Ingraham-led government would likely abandon the PLP's sympathetic posture toward Cuba and might be less interested in engaging China.

“Ingraham would also give us an interlocutor willing and able to make decisions and follow through on them.

“His ten years as prime minister have given him a good understanding of the United States and how to work with us, and he certainly looks forward to maintaining our traditionally close relations.”

Jun 02, 2011

thenassauguardian

Craig Butler’s struggle to attain a nomination should be a cautionary tale for young people going into Bahamian politics... The past can be held against you

Butler's candor is refreshing

thenassauguardian editorial

Craig Butler yesterday left the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). He was the party’s treasurer. Butler is the grandson of the first Bahamian Governor General, Sir Milo Butler. He is also the brother of Free National Movement (FNM) Cabinet Minister and Montagu Member of Parliament Loretta Butler-Turner.

Butler, an attorney, was denied the PLP nomination to run as a candidate in the February 2010 Elizabeth by-election and he was again denied the PLP nomination to run as the party’s candidate in the Kennedy constituency at the next general election. Attorney Dion Smith received the nomination.

Butler knows the party will not give him a nomination as a candidate. It thinks he would be a liability as a candidate.

Butler has publicly acknowledged that he had a drug problem in the past. On the Star 106.5 FM talk show Jeffery yesterday with host Jeffery Lloyd, after his resignation, Butler said his drug use began in the 1990s when he went away to university.

His drug use ended late in 2001 or early 2002, Butler added. In 2008, he was charged with causing harm to his wife Terrel, who is also an attorney. The matter was later dropped.

Regarding the drug use, it was refreshing to hear a public figure come forward and disclose that he is not perfect.

None of us are.

Many Bahamians, doctors, lawyers, teachers, politicians and others have struggled with substance abuse. It is a triumph when an addict overcomes and resumes living a balanced life. If a person has truly overcome, such past indiscretions should not bar that person from serving the community.

In fact, such a story of failure and triumph could be inspirational to many, especially young people who have had similar struggles.

That being said, all should be aware that political parties worldwide shy away from candidates with public histories of drug abuse. The fear is that the past struggles could be perceived as signs of deficiency and inadequacy.

For young people going into politics, Butler’s struggle to attain a nomination should be a cautionary tale. The past can be held against you.

The PLP, though, must be careful that it does not come out of this looking hypocritical. In the 1984 Commission of Inquiry report, many senior PLPs were accused of drug related corruption. Many PLPs during the party’s last term in office, from 2002 to 2007, also had scandals. Many ran, nonetheless, in the 2007 general election. Some will run again in the next general election.

It’s strange to deny Butler and to allow some of the others in the PLP to run again and again, or to be appointed to senior government posts, when they too had mishaps in the past.

Jun 02, 2011

thenassauguardian editorial

Petulant, petty and vindictive Fred Mitchell in the House of Assembly on the Wikileaks publication of confidential US embassy cables on Bahamian political affairs

Fred Mitchell and journalistic ethics

tribune242 editorial



IN THE House of Assembly on Tuesday Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell held forth as though he were an authority on journalistic ethics.

At one time in his life he fancied himself as a journalist. Those of us properly trained in the profession considered him a scribbler of propaganda. We never took him seriously.

Obviously upset by the Wikileaks publication of confidential US embassy cables on Bahamian political affairs -- especially those pertaining to himself -- Mr Mitchell decided to take out his venom against the reporter who gave an accurate, objective report that quoted -- but did not interpret -- the content of those cables.

In a 2005 cable former US Ambassador John Rood saw "two Fred Mitchell's" - the polite and polished public Mitchell and the more private, but more revealing Mitchell. We have often seen a third side -- petulant, petty and vindictive -- and this is the side that Fred Mitchell exposed in the House on Tuesday.

Upset by the reports, he turned his venom on the Guardian reporter.

"I always envied my colleague, the Member for North Andros, that former lady friend of his who shall remain nameless who works at the Guardian and wrote that whole section about me," he told the House. "'That gal look good!"

"My only point is that journalism, the kind that The Nassau Guardian, The Tribune and The Bahamas Journal are to practice carried with it certain ethical standards and it is unethical to write a story about one subject of which you had a close personal relationship as if you are a disinterested party. It can be seen as malicious. But neither she nor her employers seem to get the point," he said.

What rubbish is the man talking?

Here he is complaining about an article that the reporter wrote about him. Is he referring to that article and the subject of that article when he complains that it was unethical of the reporter to write on a subject of which she had a close personal relationship as if she were a disinterested party? Knowing Fred Mitchell we are satisfied that she had no personal relationship with him. So who is the subject to whom he refers and how is that "subject" relevant to the article of which he complains?

The fact that this reporter can write on a subject in which Mr Mitchell claims she has a personal interest as though she were disinterested shows that she is a good objective reporter, who does not let personal relationships cloud her judgment. This is more than can be said about the writing of Mr Mitchell on his Bahamas uncensored website about which Ambassador Rood had reason to complain to then prime minister Christie. Mr Rood was concerned about what he perceived as Mr Mitchell's anti-American viewpoints.

According to Mr Mitchell there is public "fascination and revulsion" at the disclosures. Revulsion that public officials "would be so open and callous" with information they share with "American diplomats." He condemned these Bahamians for "spilling their guts" to junior diplomats. He seems to forget that the assessment on himself of which he complains was made by the Ambassador himself -- no junior diplomat.

But, talking about "gut spilling," according to the diplomatic cables, we have Mr Mitchell expressing his frustrations with the level of efficiency of the Christie cabinet.

In commenting on the practices of restrictions on cabinet debates in Commonwealth countries, Mr Mitchell "intimated, the Christie cabinet of the Bahamas operates much less efficiently since any minister can intervene and express a view on any issue before the government."

At a meeting with Ambassador Rood in March 2007, Mr Mitchell "expressed his frustration at the indecision in his own government stemming from the pending elections.

"Mitchell cited the delay in signing the airport management contract and the delay in moving ahead with discussions on the Flight Information Region as two examples," the cable said.

"He noted that if the elections had been called in November and held in December, the government would either be out of power already or be finished with the elections and able to govern effectively."

Now who is gut spilling? Here Mr Mitchell is caught "spilling his guts" on the very issue that today has many Bahamians concerned -- the indecision of the Christie administration.

This obviously is going to be an issue in this election. In May, 2007 Bahamians cut this indecision short by dismissing the Christie government at the polls. It would be surprising if -- despite what Mr Mitchell now says -- they would vote in 2012 for a repeat performance.

June 02, 2011

tribune242 editorial

Craig Butler - treasurer of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), resigned from his post and the opposition party

PLP treasurer resigns


BRENT DEAN
NG Deputy News Editor
thenassauguardian
brentldean@nasguard.com



Craig Butler, treasurer of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), resigned yesterday from his post and the opposition party and vowed to run as a candidate in the Kennedy constituency at the next general election.

“It should come as no surprise to political observers that I've grown disillusioned with this once great political organization, the PLP, to which my grandfather (Sir Milo Butler) dedicated and fought so diligently to secure our Bahamas,” said Butler at Rawson Square near the bust of his grandfather.

“I too joined the ranks feeling compelled to walk in his great footsteps and wanting to give of myself unselfishly as he so freely did. After a period of prayer, deep reflection and contemplation I have reached the end of my journey and today I sever all ties with the PLP.”

Butler, an attorney, was denied the PLP nomination to run as a candidate in the Elizabeth by-election in February 2010. He was again denied the PLP nomination to run as the party’s candidate in Kennedy at the next general election. Attorney Dion Smith received the nomination.

On the Star 106.5 FM radio talk show ‘Jeffrey’ with host Jeffrey Lloyd, Butler confirmed his candidacy for Kennedy in some form. This could be as an independent candidate or aligned with a political organization.

Butler has said that PLP leader Perry Christie has told him he will not get a nomination from the party.

Butler has also publicly acknowledged that he had a drug problem in the past, one he has overcome. In 2008, he was charged with causing harm to his wife Terrel, who is also an attorney. The matter was later dropped.

Butler, however, has argued that he deserves a ‘second chance’ similar to that given to others in the PLP who have made errors in the past.

“The measure of my character is filled with lifelong lessons and though my journey has been one with tremendous setbacks, it is precisely these lessons that have made me who I am today. I possess an indomitable spirit that has afforded me the opportunity to understand and appreciate the struggles of the down trodden and the marginalized,” said Butler.

He described the current PLP as, “not the organization for which Milo Butler so proudly and diligently fought for.”

Butler’s grandfather Sir Milo was the first Bahamian governor general. Craig Butler is also the brother of Free National Movement (FNM) Cabinet Minister and Montagu Member of Parliament Loretta Butler-Turner.

“As an offspring of Sir Milo Butler I found it impossible to sit idly by and allow others to dictate what my future should be,” he said.

“I wish to no longer be a spectator but an active participant in helping to formulate policies and solutions for our nation’s challenges, its growth and development, a Bahamas that would allow future generations to fulfill their dreams and aspirations.”

Butler became the PLP’s treasurer at the party’s convention in October 2009. In September 2009, the PLP treasurer before Butler, Sidney Cambridge, also resigned after he was charged by the government of the United States with money laundering.

Jun 02, 2011

thenassauguardian

Fred Mitchell - Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs critical of U.S. Embassy officials in Nassau on WikiLeaks diplomatic cables

Mitchell critical of Americans over WikiLeaks cables

CHESTER ROBARDS
Guardian Staff Reporter
thenassauguardian
chester@nasguard.com





Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell was critical yesterday of U.S. Embassy officials responsible for certain information contained in diplomatic cables obtained by The Nassau Guardian through the whistleblower organization WikiLeaks.

Mitchell said the Americans accepted “propaganda lines” about the Progressive Liberal Party.

“It strains credibility to me that U.S. professional diplomats, a person so high as a deputy chief of mission who was actually sitting in the seat of the ambassador, would accept and adopt uncritically propaganda lines from the Free National Movement (FNM),” Mitchell said in the House of Assembly during his contribution to the budget debate.

“That is simply not a professional report.”

During the years of the (Perry) Christie administration, deputy chief of mission was Dr. Brent Hardt.

One cable that followed a meeting between the Progressive Liberal Party and U.S. Embassy officials after the 2007 general election, painted the PLP as a party that “seemed more interested in photographs and a press release of the meeting to signal their continuing good relations with the U.S.”

Yesterday, however, Mitchell dismissed the cables as “untested” and “gossipy,”.

“But the country can learn from this,” Mitchell said.

“Our public officials including myself can learn the cautionary tale of being careful with your mouths, not to let these positions cause you to show off.

“...Secondly, that Bahamian public officials must stand up for The Bahamas at all times. Bahamians must come first.

“Thirdly that Bahamians should not allow their opinions of themselves to be governed by their ability to travel to the United States.”

Mitchell suggested that the U.S. Embassy consider disassociating itself with the information in the leaked cables so as to dismiss the notion that they were an official view of events.

And though Mitchell insisted that the cables have become (seemingly reliable) tools to attack the PLP, cables on the Free National Movement (FNM) has already been released as well.

“Here we have a press that does not support the PLP,” Mitchell said.

“They oppose the PLP. They have now used their resources to get these so-called cables. They do not get an independent panel to edit and release the information.

“Instead they arrogate to themselves the right to selectively choose what to release. Now in a situation where there is support for the FNM why would anybody not be surprised that the PLP is the subject of these attacks with the same tendentious propaganda and slogans of the FNM now repeated in the mouths allegedly of U.S. diplomats.”

Mitchell also scolded Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham for “spilling all his guts” to “junior U.S. officials,” which the cables also exposed.

Mitchell was referring to a meeting Ingraham had in 2003 with a U.S. Embassy official in which Ingraham extensively discussed local politics, according to a cable.

“(Some people) wonder if it is possible for a former president of the United Stares to spill his guts to junior Bahamian diplomatic officers about his own people,” Mitchell said.

He called for current Minister of Foreign Affairs Brent Symonette to use this “teachable” moment in U.S./Bahamian political affairs to explain to the Bahamian people the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the role of The Bahamas as a member of a global community.

Mitchell contended that the cables have not changed The Bahamas’ relationship with the U.S.

“The relationship is sound as ever,” he said.

“These alleged cables do not change the fundamentals with the United States,” said Mitchell. “This is a teachable moment. And I call on the ministry to use its resources to teach the Bahamian people about their country and its role in the world.”

Jun 01, 2011

thenassauguardian

Dr. Ian Strachan on the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and the strong support it has attracted on social media...

Dr Ian Strachan: Support for DNA on Facebook may not equal votes


By LAMECH JOHNSON
tribune242


PROFESSOR and political analyst Dr Ian Strachan said the new Democratic National Alliance should not make too much of the strong support it has attracted on social media, as this may not translate into votes.

Dr Strachan, a newspaper columnist and associate professor of English at the College of the Bahamas, pointed out that even though 14 per cent of registered voters are under 24 - "and that is a good thing" - the traditional swing vote will remain the deciding factor come election day.

He said: "I know the youth vote is very important, but the swing vote is more important because it consists of a wide range of persons. The youth vote is more first time voters and my instinct is that at the end of the day, most young people will vote what their parents vote.

"In the end, when all the campaigning is going on, most young people will feel the pressure of their parents working along with these parties and they will vote based on how their parents vote."

Since the creation of the DNA's Facebook page in April, the party has already accumulated more than 2,000 "likes" from Bahamian Facebook users - more than the PLP and the FNM combined.

The PLP's page, created in July 2008, had attracted 1,504 "likes" as of yesterday afternoon, while the FNM page, created around the same time had only 475.

But Dr Strachan said the new party should be careful about how it reads these numbers.

He said: "I know Facebook is important. I know it reaches people but I still believe that Bahamians prefer that face to face interaction over the Internet. They like to argue and debate in person."

He agreed that DNA is the clear front-runner in the struggle to become the third force in Bahamian politics party, but said the fact that the party is creating excitement among young people could create a misleading picture.

"We know that the youth vote is very important and the support on Facebook speaks to a generational difference that exists. However, it doesn't mean you've won their vote.

"Major parties in the previous elections had concerts and other events to target young voters and they showed up, but did they vote for them?" he asked.

Dr Strachan added that the weak Facebook showing by the PLP and FNM could simply be the result of a lack of effort.

"I'm quite sure if they had tried they could have more - though it remains to be seen what the PLP and FNM's strategy will be in gaining more supporters on Facebook," he said.

However, according to DNA leader Branville McCartney, the party's Facebook fame is an indication that attitudes are changing.

He said: "It tells me that people are very hungry for change and they want to see a positive change in this country.

"Over the past five years, there has been an intellectual revolution that started with social media and with young people.

"Social media is the way of the future and our way of reaching the people - through our website, through twitter, through Facebook, YouTube. Social media is a form of communication. I used it in Bamboo Town and now we're using it for the DNA and it's working."

June 01, 2011

tribune242

To Mr. Fred Mitchell: [PLP Leader] Mr. Perry Christie's indecisiveness is not FNM propaganda

Fred Mitchell talks of FNM propaganda
tribune242 editorial



FRED MITCHELL has urged Bahamians to ignore the "biased opinion" of American diplomats who in their reports to Washington have characterised former prime minister Perry Christie as a procrastinating leader who "often fails to act altogether while awaiting elusive consensus in his Cabinet."

Mr Mitchell expressed surprise that US diplomats would "simply rehash the same unvarnished propaganda of the Free National Movement to describe the leader of the PLP and the policies of the PLP."

It would be interesting to know which face of Fred Mitchell has made this statement.

It is obviously the political Fred Mitchell, preparing for the hustings and anticipating a hard battle to return his party with its indecisive leader to the seat of power. However, in quiet conversation with his own conscience, the other side of Mr Mitchell must know that his statement is not true.

The indecisive leadership of Mr Christie is very much an election issue. It certainly wasn't an FNM faction within the PLP in 2009 that wanted Mr Christie removed as leader because it did not think it had a chance with him at its head. This group felt so strongly on the issue that someone within the party leaked the Greenberg, Quinlan and Rosner report on the reasons for the party's 2007 election defeat. This report, commissioned by the PLP after the 2007 election to analyse why the party lost an election it was so confident of winning, was made public by the dissident group to inform the public and to try to convince its own membership that Mr Christie was too indecisive to be at the helm.

The consultants' report, for which the party must have paid a "pretty penny", was blunt. In a nutshell, it said, the PLP lost the government after only a five-year test run, because at its helm was a nice, but weak leader heading what the public perceived to be a corrupt and scandal-ridden party. Maybe, the political side of Mr Mitchell would have us believe that the Rosner report was written by an FNM analyst. However - the other Mr Mitchell and his conscience knows otherwise.

Obviously, the report was ignored because recently three senior party members in a private letter -- again leaked to the press -- advised Mr Christie that he could prove to the public that he was indeed a decisive leader by blocking the nomination of certain politicians who were perceived to have led to the party's 2002 defeat. These were the same ones studied by the Rosner report and found wanting.

However, it appears that Mr Christie has chosen to ignore this letter. Instead he is "taking the high road" and looking "forward to a vigorous debate." And so, the Christie-led PLP is heading into an election with the same baggage that their highly paid consultants advised cost them the 2007 election.

Mr Christie's weakness for indecision was spotted early in his administration. One of the first acts of a government is to appoint its boards so that its administration can function smoothly from the beginning. The PLP won the government in May, 2002. By July no boards had been appointed. Mr Christie was being criticised for his procrastination. His reply to the criticism was given in a speech at Mission Baptist Church. Said he:

"The press and some people want to kill me because they say I ain't name them (government boards) yet. Well let 'em wait. Let me say this to you, I have been Prime Minister long enough to see that unless I do it the right way, I am wasting your time doing it the quick way."

And this was the story of his five-year administration. That is why when the FNM was returned in 2007 it found so much unfinished business, and agreements yet to be finalised.

And so, Mr Mitchell, Mr Christie's indecisiveness is not FNM propaganda. In five years Mr Christie did an excellent job in building his own reputation -- as the Rosner report concluded: He is a nice man, but a weak leader.

The serious times now facing this country demand a strong and decisive leader. We shall perish with indecision.

May 31, 2011

tribune242 editorial