“Minnis ‘failing’ to lead on vote’ – Former FNM senator says leader has not communicated position” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “Former Senator Heather Hunt has suggested that Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis has not shown effective leadership because he has failed to communicate his position on the four constitutional equality bills.

She told The Tribune yesterday that Democratic Alliance Leader Branville McCartney falls into the same category.

Mrs. Hunt is one of the co-executive directors of the YES Bahamas campaign and said that it was her hope that neither of these party leaders falls into a trap of using the equality bills as a political ‘football’

Instead, she said both Dr. Minnis and Mr. McCartney should use the opportunity to inform voters of what they plan to do differently should their party ascend to power.” 

Here Mrs. Hunt has me confused, while I do agree with her when she says that they “use the opportunity to inform voters of what they plan to do differently should their party ascend to power.”, this would come about only if they are in opposition to the bills and to this point I think only the Leader of the DNA has voiced opposition to the bills.

“Minnis: Vote your conscience – FNM leader urges voters to get educated” – The Nassau Guardian – 05.17.2016

Excerpt from this article; “Opposition Leader, Dr. Hubert Minnis is urging Bahamians to vote their conscience in the June 7^th referendum on gender equality.

‘With the entire referendum, I have said to the Bahamian public and I say again, listen to the issues, be educated, analyze, understand because you are voting for a future,” Minnis said.

‘Understand what you are voting on. You must be properly educated, then vote your conscience’ When asked how he intends to vote, Minnis said, ‘I said what I said.

 My vote in Parliament is on record’

Minnis voted in favor of all four bills in Parliament.” 

From this one can reasonably conclude that Dr. Minnis plans to vote ‘yes’ on the proposed bills but is not going to shove his opinion down the throat of the Bahamian people, much like the government is doing as it funds the ‘Yes Bahamas’ campaign. 

It is beyond me how this is perceived as weak leadership, to allow democracy work in the way that it should.

I gather from Ms. Hunts comments that she would have been more satisfied with Dr. Minnis telling 65,633 (give or take a few thousand) persons [the number of persons that voted for the Free National Movement in the 2012 General Election] to vote ‘yes’ and he should not encourage them to think for themselves.  I have been informed that this is the stance that the supporters of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) has taken, the ‘no’ position to the proposed bills; so now 13,225 person (give or take a few thousand) are expected to follow suit?  Is this true democracy?  If it is indeed, then Branville McCartney would have been pleased with each and every decision that the Free National Movement made when he was a part of this political organization, so surely this cannot be the official party position or what they expect from each and every one of their supporters as this stance is utter foolishness and only expected of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), who now seeks to chastise the leader of the FNM to vote ‘YES’ as they seem to see that the entire referendum is indeed in trouble and maybe this is why Mrs. Hunt now seeks to attempt to do the very same, as she also sees that the referendum may be ‘Dead on Arrival’.

It is indeed disturbing behavior when citizens of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas wish to have their leaders to think for them and actually encourage them to.  It is disturbing behavior when a group of people would expect for their leaders to ‘make up their minds’ for them especially during such an important democratic process such as this one.   Maybe the criticism of Dr. Minnis and Branville McCartney have come about as those of the ‘Yes Bahamas’ initiative have failed in their efforts to properly educate the people as a lot of confusion still exists.

END