May 25, 2014

Dear Sir,

I guess given the urgency, having the deputy premier filling the spot of premier was a logical thing to do. It’s not the first time Michael Dunkley has come in and filled the void of leadership.

He replaced Wayne Furbert and created a weld of enthusiasm among the UBP support base, he generated a lot of energy and hard work but lost miserably in the following election. Which in some ways underscores one principle in the Bermuda political equation, it’s not hard work that gets the party to win an election, it’s perceptions that matter most.

Of course we need to get on with the business of the country but part of that is coming to terms politically with where we are, in particular where the people in the country are.

The first test for Premier Dunkley is in how he deals with the Jetgate crew. Fair enough all the meetings and investigations are being dealt with internally but just the surface indicators, which the public would be concerned about, there is enough chocolate flavour coming from the mix to declare it’s a chocolate cake.

Making it highly legalistic to pass the law of evidence is not the standard to appease public perception. They see two lawyers who ought to have known, follow up on legislation to remove the referendum and create special legislation and the public is asked to believe that the matters were separate.

Then for the two to lambaste the former premier, whom at one time they celebrated, but now thrown to the dust bin hasn’t helped, because now in the public eye the former premier looks more like a victim then a neophyte.

The political environment has moved up a notch towards being declared a danger zone with a warning for any who desires to enter politics, becoming an even a bigger job for that third party who raised the $300k funds.

If the Premier believes that his dedication to work hard is enough, then he has bought into his own self-deception. With no disrespect to the premier, the state of the country is so very fragile, when you think of all the components needed to keep the ship in harmony and afloat. A group of people standing together holding hands declaring unity around the leader is no solution or substitute for what will succeed in bringing stability and confidence going forward.

They need an intervention by a group of persons who are already publicly banded otherwise sadly the Premier will not get the support he needs from the country.

KHALID WASI