August 17, 2002

Dear Sir,

The front page headline of The Royal Gazette (Friday, August 16, 2002) reads: "PLP rebels risk political suicide." On Page Four is Mr. Peter Woolcock's cartoon with three of the PLP backbenchers and the Premier, doing a log rolling contest. There have been other times when some of the Government backbenchers have been referred to as rebels. I just checked the dictionary and you may have a point to describe them thus, but I think it is too strong a word to describe them.

The men are neither up in arms against the Premier or the Government. They simply hold a view, and voiced it, that the PLP as a party, may not get the kind of support at the polls in the next election as it got the last time, with Ms Smith leading the part. The men are concerned about the party winning the next election. They are putting the party ahead of individuals. What we don't know is that, there may be some in the Cabinet who feel the same way, but will not say so.

Make no mistake about it; Ms Smith did put a facelift on the PLP as a party going into the last election., The people of this country responded and gave her, the party, an overwhelming victory. For the size of the victory and the euphoria at that time, the PLP should have capitalised on that, and by now make great inroads into the remaining territories of the Opposition, and being assured of more votes and seats come next election.

In one of my letters after the last election, I said that this next election would be an automatic win for the PLP, but I cannot say that now. We will have to wait and see.

Let us be mindful of this, that for some 30 years, the grass-root supporters of the PLP could not pull off a victory at the polls. It is my humble opinion that there is that upper sector of blacks that were uncomfortable with previous leaders of the PLP and therefore voted UBP, who at long last felt comfortable with Ms Smith and swung the election away from the UBP. This would mean that Ms Smith could retain the leadership of the party on the strength of the grass-roots but forfeit the election if the sector that swung the election is not with her.

With the overwhelming vote of confidence that Ms Smith got in 1998, she was well on her way to become the Princess Di or the Oprah Winfrey of Bermuda. Mr. Alex Scott said that a leader does not have to kiss babies and wave to people and does not have to be popular. That may be so, but Ms Smith has been described as a private person, and I believe that many of us do not think that it is working for her nor the party. It has been said from the beginning of her Premiership, that she has shunned the media.

If she thinks that the media wants to use her, then my advice is for her to use the media. When the media cannot get through to her nor her colleagues, they turn to the Opposition which is always willing and ready, and they come across as the ones running the country. The party may still have the support of the people, and I do hope so, but the euphoria is gone. I think that Mr. Hodgson had challenged the Premier too soon, and I do not think that his sister is doing him any favours with the stuff she writes about the party.

Certainly there are any number of persons in the party who can take over and lead it to victory at the polls. To me, Paula Cox is number one to rekindle the sparks that are going out. I do wish the party well, and trust that they will be men and women enough to put the party ahead of persons. We still remember what brought about the existence of the NLP . Had it not been for that fiasco the PLP may have formed the government long before 1998.

RENDOL JAMES

Sandys Parish