OBA to hold leadership election next month

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9: Leadership candidates for the new One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) will be announced on September 1, party chairman Michael Fahy revealed today.

The party will go to the polls at the Fairmont Southampton on Saturday, September 10, to choose the chief who will lead them into the next general election.

Before then, the party will hold a town hall-style meeting at St Mary’s Church Hall, Warwick, on the economy.

ET (Bob) Richards, the shadow Finance Minister, Senator Craig Cannonier, the shadow Economy, Trade and Industry Minister – both of whom are likely to be leadership candidates - will present the party’s plan for economic revival in Bermuda .

Mr Fahy ruled himself out of a challenge for the top job in the new party, formed from the UBP and its one-time splinter party, the BDA – but did not rule out a frontline role in the future.

Mr Fahy said: “I’ve not been an MP and party leader is an incredibly time-consuming job – but when the time is right for me, I would think about it.”

The new leader will be elected on a ‘one member, one vote’ system – the first time in Bermuda political history a party leader has been elected by the entire membership.

Mr Fahy said: “This will be the first-ever open election for a party leader. I say that in the sense that anyone can participate as long as they are a signed-up member of the party and on the parliamentary register.”

Mr Fahy said that the party had around 350 members – but added that people could sign up on the night of the election and get a say in who is in charge.

The party will also elect a deputy leader, as well as a new party executive, including chairman and deputy chairman.

Mr Fahy added that candidates will only be able to stand for leader or deputy leader, not both, although candidates can opt to run on a joint ticket if agreed in advance.

Leadership candidates must have the support of at least two MPs or Senators plus 15 party members and all must be on the electoral roll.

The winning candidates must get at least 50 per cent of the vote, with rounds of voting eliminating the candidates who pull in the least support.

Likely front-runners include Senators Craig Cannonier and Michael Dunkley and OBA MP ET (Bob) Richards.

Mr Fahy said: “If a non-MP is elected as leader, current leader John Barritt will be stepping down from his seat as well as the leadership and that seat will open for a by-election.

“That will give the winning individual an opportunity to stand for that seat if they don’t have a seat in the House of Assembly already.”

But he added that – as in any by-election – the elected leader could be challenged for the nomination for the seat by an outsider.

Mr Fahy said that the party was gearing up for an election by holding “fireside chats” with groups of people in homes across the island.

He said: “This is Bermuda – people sometimes don’t want to ask questions in a public forum for fear of being labelled.”

Mr Fahy declined to speculate on when Premier Paula Cox would call an election – and said the fears of ordinary Bermudians over their jobs and the economy as the island struggles with recession was more important than anything else.

He said: “The longer the economy continues to go down, it’s going to be increasingly difficult for the Premier. It’s up to her to make that call, but we will be ready.

“One of the things we’re standing for is fixed term elections – people know exactly when an election will be called and parliamentarians can concentrate on the people’s business.

“I’d prefer to concentrate on fixing the economy rather than election speculation. People are more concerned about the economy and keeping their jobs, rather than leadership elections and general elections.

“The PLP can’t run away from their record on what is now known to be economic failure and the economy is what we should be spending time on.”

The OBA conference will be held at the Fairmont Southampton on September 10, starting at 7:30pm.