independent

Rick Fox has announced that he will run in St. James, the new constituency, in the next general election. But it does not appear he is running under either major political parties, nor a third party.

With parties already having their preferred candidates—Owen Well for the PLP and supposed Shanendon Cartwright for the FNM, Fox appears to be entering the race as an independent.

Is this the right political move?

Fox says his campaign is about “responsibility” and “transparency,” not “politics as usual.” He argues in a social media post, “St. James is where my family lives, where I work, and where I have chosen to plant my life permanently. I didn’t choose St. James because it is easy. I chose it because it sits at the crossroads of capital, infrastructure, and national decision making, and because when policy works here, it works better for the entire country,” Fox said.

But politics is more than about ideas; it is also about power and influence.

By running independently, Fox separates himself from party politics. That is only attractive to voters who are tired of partisanship and want something different. And he presents himself as transparent, issue-driven, and free from political baggage.

However, there are real risks to his decision.

In the Bahamas, political parties provide the machinery that wins the elections, which includes voter databases, canvassing teams, funding (which he has lots of), election-day organization, etc.

An independent candidate would have to build all of that alone.

Even if Fox is elected, an independent parliamentarian could struggle to help shape national policy and conversation without the backing of a party.

Should Rick Fox pick a side?

Joining a party would give him access to legislative power and a better chance to push the energy reform he suggested, from the inside. A party’s backing would also strengthen his campaign.

There is also the “outsider” factor. Fox lived much of his life in Canada and is now settling in the Bahamas. For some, that could look like fresh thinking. For others, it raises questions about his roots and connection to the Bahamas.

Fox is making a bold bet that voters in St. James will choose his ideas over a party label.

Former NBA champion-turned-ambassador Rick Fox says his move into Bahamian politics is driven by purpose and was encouraged by longtime friend and former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

Fox grew up partly in the Bahamas before moving to Canada, and he has publicly confirmed he plans to run as a candidate in the next general election.

During a recent visit to the Bahamas, Fox said O’Neal told him, “Brother, you know I loved your dad. He would be proud. You know I love the Bahamas, because of the people. I know you can make life better for your people. Don’t just do, dominate it. Break a backboard in the process if you have to. Dominate.”

Questions have been raised about Fox’s eligibility and nationality. On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper told reporters he saw no problem.

“If Rick is a Bahamian, he is free to run for politics,” Cooper said.

“I don’t know what his nationality is. I always thought he was Canadian, but if he is Bahamian, he can certainly offer himself for politics in the Bahamas.”

O’neal was seen last week walking through the Mall of Marathon and a picture circulated of him with former Minister of National Security and the Free National Movement’s candidate for Mt Moriah Marvin Dames.

Fox’s political stance and his criticism of the government’s delay in completing road works ahead of a by-election drew ire from some supporters of the Progressive Liberal Party.

In response, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell recently said anyone appointed by the government who publicly criticises it should resign. Fox fired back, saying he will not give up his ambassadorial role because he represents the Bahamian people.

In social-media posts, Fox has called for greater transparency, economic development, and integrity in Bahamian politics.

So far, he has not confirmed which party he will join or whether he will stand as an independent.

“As I lace up for the road ahead, I may need a pair of his size 22s, because the footprint I want to leave for the Bahamas is going to be big.”

Since Independent House Speaker Halson Moultrie’s exit from the Free National Movement, he has created quite a stir, revealing a private conversation he’s had with Prime Minister Hubert Minnis.

Moultrie appeared on The Hit Back with Nahaja Black, disclosing the government’s intent to call an early election in 4 to 5 months, and further divulging Minnis’ plan to send him as an ambassador to London in an effort to shuffle the party and its candidates as it prepares for general election, whenever that may be.

Moultrie’s revelation comes after he resigned from the governing party, opting to become an independent member of parliament. He cited the lack of “autonomy and independence of the legislature and judiciary, accountability and transparency, freedom of information and respect for the constitution” as a reasoning for his departure from the party.

But his decision came as no surprise as Moultrie has often lambasted the government as House speaker, recently criticizing the government for the condition of his office, complaining of the mold and inoperable bathroom facility. He said he will not “sit here idly by as the presiding officer of this Parliament and accept such conditions.”

Moultrie once hit out at Minnis, while claiming there was no discord in the party, suggesting that the prime minister was acting like a “demigod – like a person who is a maximum leader, a person who could just dictate,” he told reporters in November.

Moultrie’s behavior is similar to that of former minister of Health Duane Sands, who turned on the party after his resignation from the Cabinet post. Though Sands remained with the party, he criticized his party at every term, questioning the government’s vaccine rollout plan and its emergency orders in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One month after his resignation in May, Sand’s derision for his party went as far back as the passage of the Hurricane Dorian, accusing the government and other ministries of deleting hundreds of names from the list of missing people, without explanation, although the apparent removal of names would have occurred when he was the minister of health.

But unlike Sands, Moultrie’s gripe with the party has done nothing to help his public image. He is already known as a poor representative for the Nassau Village constituency, where area residents feel like he has neglected them, providing no meaningful change for the area. If he was ratified as a candidate for the area, it is almost guaranteed the government would lose that seat.

Sands, on the other hand, has grown as a good representative for Elizabeth Estates, often seen canvassing and cleaning the area and seemed to be well-liked by the constituents. The government has a good chance of winning this seat, though he has yet to be ratified like other members of his party.

It remains to be seen what will be Moultrie’s next move, whether he will run as an independent candidate for the Nassau Village constituency or retire from politics, which may be a better option.

Golden Isles Member of Parliament Vaughn Miller announced in the House of Assembly on Wednesday that he will become a member of the Progressive Liberal Party, having left the Free National Movement in 2019 to become an independent candidate.

Miller who is also a pastor of Resurrection Ministries International Church, said he sought consultation with God, his wife and church leaders before he made his decision to join the opposition party.

Miller has offered to run 2022 in the Golden Isles constituency for the PLP, and will now be seated near the opposition in the HOA until the next general election.

Vaughn Miller’s history in Golden Isles

Miller won the Golden Isles constituency in 2017 by 3,374 votes, beating PLP’s Michael Halkitis by 56 percent of the vote.

But when Miller left the FNM in 2019, he lost the support of the area’s association.

The association’s president Brian Brown said Miller was never physically or mentally in the constituency, even before he resigned from the party. “After the firing for him voting against the VAT, things went downhill and that was it.”

Miller was fired as a parliamentary secretary in 2018, after he voted against the increase of Value Added Tax.

Brown said the constituents were disappointed in Miller’s representation, after giving him their full support in the May 2017 election.

Brown has now become the FNM’s candidate for Golden Isles and has began campaigning for the 2022 general election.

Where Miller stands with the PLP? He once called the PLP corrupt

Miller’s career as a politician began in 2017, as his party campaigned against the “inprecedented corruption” of the PLP, as they exposed evidence of financial mismanagement, neligence and nepotism.

As Miller jumped ship to the PLP, a new question arises. What changed about the PLP? The PLP has not yet proven that they have changed and that they can lead the Bahamas . Why now?

Was the switch for political survival? Miller can now be expected to be used as a prop by the PLP.

Miller in his speech during the debate, never gave his reasoning for joining the opposition, only to say he talked with Opposition Leader Philip Davis and that he always desired “to help people.”

“It is time to do what is best for me,” Miller said.

Davis in a press statement, said, “I have been speaking to Miller for some time. I think his experience mirrors that of many Bahamians who wanted to believe the promises made by the Free National Movement in 2017, but who came to realize that his governemnt has neither the intention nor the capacity to keep those promises.”

Chester Cooper described Miller’s switch as a “jubilant day.”

“A glad day, a glorious day as we welcome Miller to the party,” whom he said he always admired.

What’s next for Vaughn Miller?

Miller’s chances of winning in the 2022 as an independent candidate was slim to none, as Bahamians rarely select independent representatives for their constituency.

His chances of winning as a PLP candidate is also slim.

Although Miller offered to run as a PLP candidate for Golden Isles, it is yet to be seen if he is the party’s strongest candidate for the area in 2022.

Will his constituency follow his path to the PLP or will it remain an FNM stronghold in the next general election?

Miller will face an uphill challenge from the FNM candidate for Golden Isles.

Featured Image: The Tribune