By Gerrino J. Saunders
Journal Staff Writer

Using the Free National Movement’s (FNM) history following a general election
victory, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Fred Mitchell said on Monday
that there is usually a high level of victimization by the FNM and as political
parties begin to ramp up in anticipation of the 2026 showdown he warned PLP
party members, supporters and the general public against supporting the Official
Opposition in the next general election.
On Monday he sought to remind PLP’s what is like to lose power. He recalled his
2002 majority of 1,200 votes to win the Fox Hill constituency reduced to just 64
votes in 2007 with his opponent Jacinta Higgs “parachuting” into the constituency
only six months before the election and almost defeated him. He also recalled
having to defend his seat in a recount with the FNM in control of the country
which he described as “humiliating” and the FNM made sure to rub it in.
“On that night when the results became clear the FNM crowd rushed on me in my
private car assaulted the driver and me and told me to get my a**out of the
government car. The police officer came over intervened and said, this man is a
former minister of the government and you must show respect. We sped away,”
he said.
Mr. Mitchell then recalled hearing on the radio the new Prime Minister Hubert
Ingraham telling Sir Lynden Pindling (after the FNM 1992 election victory) “the car
gone, the maid gone, indeed they were, and one report is when the Pindlings
returned to their private home they met a police officer washing his car in the
yard and he informed them that they no longer have the right to live in their
private home. Sir Franklyn Wilson lent Sir Lynden a car until he could afford to get
one.
Mitchell then recalled that back in 2017 he gave a speech in the Marathon
constituency just before election-day where he warned PLP’s not to vote for the
FNM, but people said they were worried about their jobs on the 52 weeks
program and they voted to put the FNM in power and in weeks their jobs were

gone, while on the other hand in 2002 and 2012 Prime Minister Perry Christie
protected all the jobs that he met of general service workers.
Continuing he said, “Remember the broadcasters at ZNS led by Obie Wilchcombe
who were fired in 1992, those are the consequences of regime change.”
“I remember as an attorney representing police officers who were called in by the
National Security Minister under Hubert Ingraham, senior officers who were
supposed to have protected jobs but told to go home, the present Commissioner
of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police suffered the same fate with others
in 2017,” he said.
“What is the importance of all these stories? I say again, never mind the sweet
talk by the leader of the opposition; the FNM are cruel masters. Be warned
people and act in your best interest, I believe with all sincerity to the best of my
knowledge, information and belief that in the general election whenever it comes
next it is important to return the PLP to power,” said Mitchell.
Meanwhile, if you ask the FNM leadership, party members and supporters they
would argue that it is the PLP that is more prone and guilty of heavy-handed
victimization going back to the Sir Lynden Pindling era.
In 2012 former Cabinet Minister Dion Foulkes in a local newspaper article
reminded how the FNM was forced to broadcast their 1992 general election
campaign message from Florida because the PLP-led government refused to
permit the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (ZNS) to freely cover the
campaign.
He also reminded that former FNM party leader Hubert Ingraham suffered
tremendous victimization at the hands of the PLP because he stood up against
corruption.
In recent times March of 2022 a row erupted in the House of Assembly over
victimization claims with both PLP and FNM accusing each other of being guilty.
The exchange was largely between current FNM leader Michael Pintard and
current Minister of Foreign Affairs Mitchell in relation to the redeployment of a

number of island administrators and Road Traffic Department employees
following the 2021 elections.
Mr Pintard suggested that the employees were being redeployed because of their
political affiliation with the FNM, while Mr. Mitchell defended the redeployments
as standard following a change in government and in turn accused the FNM of
rampant victimization of PLP supporters who were in “absolute terror” of being
victimized during the Minnis administration. Pintard described Mitchell’s
accusations as “laughable”.
Switching gears, on Monday Mr. Mitchell warned PLP members and supporters
that large parliamentary majorities in The Bahamas have been through history
“inherently unstable”.
He said, “In this our third year we must keep therefore a watchful eye on history.
Philip Davis the present Prime Minister has kept his coalition of 2021 together
and there is no reason we can’t keep it that way if we defend the faith, keep
disciplined…discipline our behaviour and raise money.”
In the September 16 th 2021 elections the PLP won landslide majority 32 of the 39
seats, and 52.59 percent of the votes compared to seven seats and 36.45 percent
of the vote for the FNM.
Although there have been suggestions by Mr. Pintard that the next general
election could possibly take place in 2025, Prime Minister Philip Davis has until
September 2026 before the general election must take place.