Devon Dick

In June, I completed my Ph.D. studies on the Native Baptists and I cannot help but perceive parallels between the treatment meted out to the Native Baptists by English Baptist missionaries and that to the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller by Dr Peter Phillips and his team. The English Baptist missionaries claimed that Baptists of African origin were not competent to lead congregations because they did not have a classical education. The main charge against Portia is that she is lacking in leadership skills.

One would have thought that intellectuals would use data to prove their point. If the evaluation were done on employment, job creation, decline in murder rate, inflation, cost of living, interest rate, Net International Reserves, economic growth, etc., then when one compares the Honourable Bruce Golding's first year to Portia's, she did better.

Part of the problem is that there is systemic prejudice against women and people of the underclass. Last week, it was observed, at the RJR AGM, at which Lester Spaulding was appropriately recognised for outstanding leadership of RJR, that the board of directors has one female, namely, Pat Robinson, the company secretary. You want to tell me that there are no other competent women to sit on this board; not to mention other boards of other powerful organisations? In addition or on another note, how come Lester Spaulding has not received an OJ?

Woefully inadequate

There is also prejudice in the United States of America presidential elections. Barack Obama, Democratic candidate, because he went to an Ivy League school, is classified as elitist. This 'homeboy' was a community organiser on the streets of Chicago, but is elitist!

Furthermore, people are equating intelligence with formal education. And worse, this country's education system is woefully inadequate and assigns persons of the underclass to an inferior formal education and then condemns those graduates as incapable of voting wisely or leading properly.

An intellectual is a person of superior intelligence and great mental capacity. One who is able to deal with abstract issues and ideas with profundity. It is a person who can engage in reflection and speculation. So far, the reflection from the intellectuals on the defeat of Phillips is lacking. They have proffered the deceit of delegates, populism of Portia and economic hardships of the electorate instead of bad timing. You do not challenge an incumbent in the 70th year of the party's existence. It is a time to celebrate the achievements of the party and get a feel-good effect and bounce in the polls. In addition, Portia was involved in the closest General Elections ever. And, quite remarkably, she did better as Opposition Leader in the local government elections than PJ did in his last local government elections as prime minister!

Acknowledging the opponent

Most media commentators showed prejudice against Portia. They rightly observed that she did not mention Peter by name in her victory speech but I did not hear anyone say that Peter did not publicly concede or speak to Portia before her victory speech. In the 2006 PNP presidential, I criticised Portia for not debating Peter. Criticisms must be fair, balanced and specific.

In addition, Phillips should have remembered that British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was successfully challenged for the leadership of the Conservative Party after nine years and after she and her party grew unpopular. Then Sir Geoffrey Howe, deputy prime minister, resigned. Then in 1990, Michael Heseltine, former Trade and Commerce Secretary, challenged Thatcher and the rest is history.

Under the Westminster model, Phillips should not be in the Shadow Cabinet, otherwise it would be the same as if Phillips had not lost a major challenge. Unless Peter's 'lieutenants' 'light a candle and sing a sankey', they should not be in the party's leadership at this time, otherwise the prejudice might continue.

Rev Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot: the Church is Nation Building'. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.