Opinion Article: Michael M. Fahy JP, BDA provides the option of not voting along racial lines, 21 July 2010

Michael M. Fahy JP – Chairman Bermuda Democratic Alliance

Bermuda Sun 21 July 2010

 
On 16th July 2010, the Premier’s race consultant, Rolfe Commission said as follows:

“If they (whites) continue to exhibit such behaviour (regarding voting on racial lines), they then have no right to lecture us (blacks) on the voting behaviour and political preferences of over two thirds of those black Bermudians voters who do vote for the PLP; while remaining silent on the fact that after more than four decades of modern electoral politics in Bermuda, virtually every white voter, who does vote, votes UBP, and has been doing so throughout this period. A fact that Messrs. Moniz, Dunkley, Gibbons and Fahy of the BDA, the most ardent proponents of this view, are apparently still not prepared to accept.”

I have to take issue with this remark from Mr. Commissiong. I have fully accepted and stated on record (before Mr Commission made the aforementioned comment) in a number of forums including radio that the way in which voting has happened in Bermuda since the formation of the PLP and UBP is wrong.  I have said as recently as today (16 July) in a radio interview with the Captain on Mix 106 that seeing zero percent of whites voting PLP is wrong. I have also said it is wrong that over 90% of whites vote UBP.  Perhaps Mr Commissiong just prefers not to hear what I have been saying on this. Perhaps I and my BDA colleagues that were once UBP have not been clear enough about why we left the UBP.  If the BDA ends up simply being an all white party as Mr Commissiong insinuates, then the BDA will have failed to bring about a full alliance of support from across the racial divide and change the face of Bermuda politics. None of us in the BDA want to fail.

The UBP’s support base is, as Mr. Commissiong points out, vastly white.  By the end of my stay within the UBP I had become incredibly disenchanted with this. I disliked being affiliated with a party where the overwhelming majority of its members are white. Why? Because I believe that any political party must represent all people – black, white and all shades in between.  I do not stand up for the interests of just whites and neither do any of my BDA colleagues – it is absolutely false and completely wrong to insinuate this.

Whilst I believe that both the UBP and PLP aspire to represent all Bermudians regardless of skin colour – both have failed for any number of reasons. But as Mr. Commissiong points out, this is largely due to our racist past – both overt and covert. I and my fellow members of the BDA hope to give an option to all Bermudians to break away from this voting on racial lines.  It is the right thing for Bermuda.

This is not a pipe dream – there are ways to redistribute wealth through existing government assets. For example government administered leasing schemes could be implemented to give works and engineering staff the right to participate directly in the profits in government contracts.  We can establish a ‘Low Income’ Payroll Tax bracket for businesses with employees making $50,000 Annual Salary or less, with a reduced percentage tax on both the employee and employer. We can introduce a tiered tax structure where companies that hire Bermudians get a tax break.  Any of these initiatives will give opportunity where there has been none.

The BDA recognizes the past and current racial wrongs – but we are and will continue to be inclusive in our approach and recommendations to alleviate and correct these wrongs.  Indeed all Bermudians need to learn more of our history and the legacies that have been created in order to gain a fuller understanding. The time for divisive language and misleading statements has passed. The time for healing is here, and we all must either get on board the train or leave the platform.

Michael M. Fahy JP
Mr. Fahy is Chairman of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance