After 60 years of what should have been a lesson on the pitfalls of party politics, the thought of starting another party should be anathema. If not, the experience should give one reason to at least pause. Yes, I get that nothing truly happens unless a group of well-organised people gets together with a purpose. I also know my sentiments are contradicted by reason because no matter what label is attached, if it is led by a group of people, it is by definition a political party.

Given the history of progressiveness in the United States, where today the vast majority of voters are independents and it is popular thinking among politicians to either declare themselves as independents to cater to the wider electorate — whether on a Democratic or Republican ticket — it should be a sticky subject to form any party. There is only one reason when the FDM announced its candidacy in 2020 that I gave my support.

The group labelled itself the “Free Democratic Movement”, which to me indicated it was an innate organic movement of the people to assert what would be their individual and collective right to participate in the framework that governs the country. No title could be more suitable if it were indeed such a movement going on.

The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr once reminded us that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”. This implies that there are things unseen that are happening that trend towards a better place.

Since that 2020 FDM intervention, the general public have heard very little, yet somehow things are unfolding almost like an invisible hand that is bringing light to the dilemma of our local politics. Today, aside from the loyal base of the Progressive Labour Party, there is almost a universal chorus crying for a new party or anything but “the above” — meaning not PLP or One Bermuda Alliance. There is nascent hope that in some fashion the FDM-type intervention could translate into something that everyone wants and needs to bring Bermuda from the brink of social and economic collapse.

This is where reading the pulse properly is critical. There is no universal cry at this stage for any particular leader; the masses are not chanting the name of any person in the vein of “We need Alfie” or “We need Mary”.

I believe Marc Bean realises this as the moment that the universe provides a platform and a possible role for him to play, which may or may not be that of leader.

This is where the questioning of the universe becomes even more intricate. Let’s take what transpired in 2020 as an “impulse” that there is indeed a free democratic movement under way — how should it manifest today? For those who say, “Well, it should just be a party”, is that so? And why? What would be the make-up of that party? What will be the rights of the electorate? What informs the power and base of that party? And what would make another party any different from the two existing parties?

There may be a body of opinion that says the contrast is that it will be different people involved. That would be assuming, however, that the only problem with what we have at present are their members.

When the United States Constitution was formed, emphasis was put in avoiding the creation of another monarchy. The architects of the Constitution did everything possible to create a weak government construct that allowed the common man to have a real say. They recognised they needed the authority of a monarch but one that the people had ultimate control over.

In a somewhat similar equation, Bermuda has a problem where political parties have become monarchies unto themselves. They are separate from the electorate and act as private members’ clubs. For the electorate to get involved, they must “join the club”. That is a problem and in the US right now that has become a big problem, with the vast majority not caring to join.

Bermuda is no different. Why start from a position that is already untenable, possibly dismissive and imperfect? If a party was formed as an interim group with “provisional” leaders in order to change Bermuda’s Parliamentary Election Act 1978, then perhaps we have a moral justification. However, all Bermuda really needs is to adjust its electoral format so as to allow primaries, have fixed-term elections and a voters’ bill of rights. That is all we intrinsically need.

If it did that with the right to open primaries, you do not need members because when people reach the age of 18 and are allowed to vote, they could nominate whomever they choose as the candidate for whichever party. Once an individual has reached the age of majority they are a member of the Bermuda electorate. Politics is a science and geometry should form the basis for how seats and Members of Parliament are designated and how the electorate configures that. The most perfect design would have every person equidistant from the throne in order to be equal among themselves. Any intrusion on that principle destroys equality among the people. That is a mathematical fact, as a party is a mathematical intrusion. They can exist but they should not contravene the electoral position.

The constitutional framework of the country needs to be one, and all the arrangements within and under that constitution must be in tandem. There is no real logic other than for control as to why the country will have one set of rights and rules, and the party another. We have been down this road before and it has got us where are; we don’t need to repeat the same mistake. If we care to look, the OBA came in with brightly coloured balloons promising a new day, but carried over the same formula — and it would not matter tomorrow if the FDM came in. If it carries the same formula, it will end the same.

We cannot continue do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. We can’t live off promises. We can’t live on the good character of a leader. We need clear, inalienable rights and with those rights, we can deliver our own dreams and wishes as a country.

The momentary anxiety is getting rid of what we have at present, which apparently is not working. We can easily fall for a quick fix to get rid of what we have. However, what we need is a bit more than a quick fix; we need something that will last and offers the greatest potential for everyone to have the ability to be involved. It will not happen that any system of governance will have 100 per cent participation, but you can have the framework that permits it.