The winners have been magnanimous in their victory. Those who lost are clear in their minds that the voting was both as free and as fair as they would have wished.
The Progressive Liberal Party has a high command that is comprised of the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie, Leader, Attorney Philip "Brave" Davis as Deputy Leader and Bradley Roberts as Party Chairman.
Some sense of how former Prime Minister Christie viewed things going onto the field is to be gleaned from some of his speech as he addressed a number of issues germane to the contest ahead.
Here we note the following words."I am very pleased that the delegates and stalwart councilors have come to this convention and have the opportunity to demonstrate to the Bahamian people that PLPs can come together and conduct themselves in a very mature fashion, a very competitive fashion having honest and fair results.
"And now we can look forward to unifying the party and establishing a victory platform in the next general election.
The PLP’s once and future leader concluded on an optimistic note, "With respect to the steps we must take, we expect our contestants, those persons who vied for offices, to reach a level of maturity that will enable us, after the disappointment has subsided, to come together in a very real way and show that we have now accepted those that won and will be prepared to go on and cooperate with those who have won."
We are certain that his message did reach its intended target and that there is a generalized consensus that the new team is both respected and fully accepted.
What is also quite clear is the fact that with the return to the helm by Bradley Roberts, the public can and should expect some fire-works as he unleashes his arsenal.
In this regard, the new PLP party chairman promises as much.
In prepared remarks to the PLP’s convention, Roberts at his pugnacious best put it this way, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am reliably informed, that ever since the announcement of my return as Chairman yesterday afternoon; the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham has been restless, nervous, and somewhat tormented. In fact, I understand that he and many of his colleagues, though two years remain in their term, have already begun to pack.
"Fear has been struck in the organization of the FNM because they know that as of today they and their legions will no longer be allowed to attack the PLP and its members without unreserved retaliation. They can expect blow after blow after blow now from a big man, with nothing to fear, nothing to gain and nothing to lose. Just as they called Mr. Ingraham back to service as their leader to win the 2007 General Elections, I have been brought back just for Mr. Ingraham.
"All this empty talk about Ingraham having Mr. Christie’s number … let me declare tonight that your new Chairman has Mr. Ingraham’s number, and the Bahamian people can begin counting the days to his final and complete, never to return, retirement from public life!"
Even as we allow for hyperbole, we must admit that Roberts seems to be spoiling for a fight.
Evidently, his counterparts in the ruling Free National Movement are quite equipped and fully prepared to respond in kind.
Indeed, in rapid response mode, the FNM countered Roberts with this volley: "PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts’ rabid, belligerent and arrogant convention speech is a return to the politics the Bahamian people have moved past. With his typical arrogance, he likened himself to John the Baptist.
"Rather than preparing the way for genuine deliverance from the problems of the day, he is preparing the way for the old guard of his party to return to office with empty promises, greedy hands, personal agendas and self-interest…"
Now that the dust has settled on what had promised to be a bloody political battle-field [but which turned out otherwise] in the ranks of the Opposition Progressive Liberal Party, the Bahamian people watch, wait and listen to see how things go from here on in.
Ahead are general elections that must be held sometime or the other between now and May, 2012.
But whether pugnacious, somnolent or not, the fact remains that the Bahamian people will – as usual – in their democratic way, have the last word on who will lead them, whenever the next general elections come and go.
