Dr. Kevin Alcena
William Shakespeare ought to have been around today. He, indubitably, would be inclined to write a play about Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham, a literary masterpiece above the excellence of any of his previous plays. However, this writer attempts to give a brief synopsis of the story; let my enlightened readers be warned from the outset.
The writer has surfed the Internet and researched many libraries but could not find any analogical precedent to describe the interplay of circumstances, which culminated in these two men emerging as the leaders of their country on two sides of the political divide.
Never before in the history of contemporary politics have we witnessed two former law partners emerge as prime ministers; with the former prime minister, Hubert Ingraham, as leader of the Opposition. It defies one's intellectual imagination and perspective on the Bahamian political saga. In all indication in the "market place", the opposition leader may emerge as prime minister once again.
As Franz Fanon says "every onlooker is either a traitor or a coward". The writer subscribes to this view; hence, it would be unpardonable sheer political apathy for both, the leader of the government and the leader of the opposition, to ignore this seemingly political legerdemain that is being played on the ever unwary Bahamian populace.
The upcoming election in 2007 transcends the realm of one's psychological equilibrium and dislocates one's objective consciousness in trying to fathom its outcome in the delicate Bahamian political terrain. The adventuristic political odyssey of Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham ought to be a case study of global politics for students of political science, or better yet, for satirical playwrights.
The irony of this intricate, political and perplexing election is a 'quad-tonomous' political affair, where one is presented with Perry Christie, Hubert Ingraham, Brent Symonette and Dr. Bernard Nottage, former leader of the CDR. There is no contest between Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham. Ingraham is viewed as a stronger leader than Christie, who is viewed as an indecisive leader.
This phenomenal upcoming general election tends to give a lesson in the grand intrigue of the French, erstwhile First Lady, La Marquise de Maintenan.
The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have been caught up in the legacy of the late Sir Lynden's political quagmire that holds far reaching political consequences of unmitigated proportions for both leaders. This is the watershed in their many years of political and social hobnobbing. At this watershed, political decisiveness must certainly manifest itself. It is also only reasonable to assume that never in the course of their political hobnobbing did they anticipate the present turn of events.
The late Sir Lynden fired the two leaders, one of whom was prime minister and the other who is now prime minister of this country. The convolution of inexplicable circumstances unexpectedly brought about a situation whereby the Prime Minister is placed in a very delicate and precarious position under the political sort of Damocles and threatened with political annihilation in the event he loses the election. What, in fact, this means is Perry Christie is in a precarious, perplexing dilemma, such that if he loses the upcoming election in 2007, he is politically, irrevocably doomed, which is not the case with Hubert Ingraham.
The apparent reality and duality of their friendship that has been displayed by Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham has reached its epic level, where the two former law partners and former political associates and now leaders of the country's Government and Official Opposition respectively, have come to a point of inexorable confrontation in this unique upcoming election in 2007 in which there can be neither collaboration nor cooperation, but only through a genuine test of democracy. In this election, they now stand to test their political wits and astuteness before the Bahamian people.
If Prime Minister Perry Christie loses the epochal election, posterity and history will always hold him in ridicule and ignominy for bringing a catastrophic disaster to his party, the PLP. This is the veritable opportunity for him to demonstrate to the Bahamian people that he is a competent and colossal figure.
On the other hand, if Hubert Ingraham, the Leader of the Opposition, fails to win the election, his popularity remains undiminished and he would still be the victor who retired the legendary leader of his former political party.
Clashing Titans
Friends to foes
Mortals watch
Chickcharney knows
Whom'er falls not
On victory side
Shall in the bushes
Leave his pride.
