By Keile Campbell
Journal Staff Writer

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Fred Mitchell retained his seat as the party’s
chairman, beating out the sole challenger former Senator and Deputy Chair Robyn Lynes.
Mitchell received 845 votes, while Lynes received 630 votes in what the winning PLP
chairman has described as a race turned “nasty.” However, the party line has been that there
is no disunity among them.
The PLP chairman, who had the support of both Prime Minister Philip Davis and Deputy
Prime Minister Chester Cooper, particularly spoke of his appreciation of the prime minister
publicly voicing his support of Mitchell during the build-up to the convention.
“In personal terms, this victory to me is an affirmation of my humanity after a particularly
nauseous campaign. I want to thank the prime minister for his affirmation of my humanity,
because the public statement which he made is unusual for a leader to do, but it came after a
particularly nasty set of comments generated in the public and this suggested that somehow, I
was less than human. It will take all my Christian charity to forgive it, but I want to thank
him all the same for that affirmation,” Mitchell said.
“Secondly, I want to point out, that had we not succeeded tonight, there was a consequence
which would follow in our system. It meant that there was a repudiation of the prime minister
as head of the Cabinet’s decision and would’ve led to my resignation from the Cabinet. I
wrote that resignation this morning just in case.”
The PLP chairman noted the seriousness of his potential resignation from Cabinet had he not
retain the seat of chairman by comparing the situation to a previous instance in government
where the late Father of the Nation Sir Lynden Pindling had to choose whether to accept a
resignation from a Cabinet minister.
“There was a committee in the house which condemned the government’s performance with
one of the public corporations, and Loftus-Roker ended up offering his resignation which was
ultimately refused, but that was the serious point as which we were this morning,” Mitchell
said.
“I hope that those who are planning to go into public life will look at what has happened over
these last few days and see what it is to have grace under fire, and to also understand that as
public figures, you can’t be a crybaby in public – it’s a real serious game, and I said that to
someone who I hope hears me tonight.”
Mitchell, who also serves the Davis administration as Minister of Foreign Affairs, shared
with his party the next step with regards to his role as chairman.
“So now I begin the long good-bye. With a tour of all of the islands of our country and
communities that I visited during the past six years as chairman of this party, to try and take
up on all the themes that I’ve been asked to look at during this campaign. It was a real
honour, privilege and pleasure – the job of my life, to be chairman of the Progressive Liberal

Party and it will be very interesting going around the country with what I call the long good-
bye, assuming the Lord will tarry,” Mitchell said.
Minister Mitchell ended his victory speech thanking delegates while insisting that the party’s
focus is now on the upcoming by-election for West Grand Bahama and Bimini.