OBA Chairman Speaks To St. Kitts Convention
One Bermuda Alliance chairman Thad Hollis [pictured] told an audience in the St. Kitts & Nevis that the outcome of the 2010 by-election to replace former Premier Dr. Ewart Brown convinced members of the former Bermuda Democratic Alliance and the United Bermuda Party they had to merge if there was any realistic prospect of ousting the Progressive Labour Party at a general election.
Mr. Hollis — the special guest speaker at the People’s Action Movement [PAM] 48th annual convention – said the two opposition parties split the vote when PLP candidate Marc Bean successfully retained the Warwick South Central Parliamentary seat formerly held by Dr.Brown during his address on Sunday [Apr. 28] at the party’s headquarters in Fortlands, St. Kitts.
“We weren’t going to be able to win a general election and bring back jobs, restore the economy, bring social and economic equity, build schools for kids, get Bermuda working again; all the things that need to happen,” Mr. Hollis was quoted as saying by the St. Kitts & Nevis news outlet SKNVibes. “So they [the BDA and the UBP] started to talk about a merger …
Mr. Hollis said that in September, 2011 the fledgling OBA held a “conference where we elected our leadership in an open forum by ballot. And my leader, the Honourable Craig Cannonier, Premier of Bermuda now, was elected leader.
“Never before in the history of Bermuda had a political party had an open ballot where the members could vote; and we invited the media…transparency,” he added.
The chairman talked about the coming together of the parties for “a new concept in politics” when the One Bermuda Alliance was formed.
“What the One Bermuda Alliance didn’t have was just members of the United Bermuda Party and the Bermuda Democratic Alliance,” he said. “We had members of the Progressive Labour Party join, we had independents and we had people like me who’d never been officially been in a political party”.
“We brought together five distinct groups that had one vision — putting Bermuda first. We shared a vision. Bermuda has to be our priority,” he added.
Mr. Hollis said the party was “founded on seven principles”, which he outlined as Opportunity, Responsibility, Integrity, Transparency, Fairness, Inclusiveness and Service.
“I’m a Bermudian, I love my island home,” he said. “I have salt water in my veins. My family I can trace back to the 1600s. I have no other home. I belong to Bermuda and Bermuda is in me. So when I joined a movement that said we need to put Bermuda first, it was not a choice, it is the way of being.”
Mr. Hollis said “we came together of diverse backgrounds, of difficult and different political opinions, and stood together to win the [2012] General Elections.”
PAM currently holds two of the eleven seats in the St. Kitts & Nevis National Assembly.
- Photo courtesy of SKNVibes, read the full story here on their website.
Well done OBA, imagine so many senior PLP MPs and former leaders have such strong roots with St Kitts and the PAM invites the OBA’s Thad Hollis as a guest speaker, let me not mention the other glaring fact about his participation in St Kitts of all places, an island to the South.
PLP time to dissolve and start over.
Please don’t speak about things you don’t understand.
The PLP is a political party – - good, bad, indifferent – whatever.
You are not a member, so why would you speak about dissolving the party?
Grow up – please. If you don’t like a party, that’s fine – but the way OBA supporters act on these blogs is truly distasteful.
Understand?
the plp ain,t going nowhere we will be back a lot sooner than you all think people have already seen how much graig and his grew care about them people are not blind and stupid
Well actually, if I recall there were at least 14,218 blind and/or stupid people as of December 17th 2012. Are you saying thay are no longer blind and/or stupid? If not, that is great now they will look at the facts of the economy and Gov’t finances are in shambles and this didn’t just happen in a matter of months.
Forgive me or saying this all, but go scre*& ya mother for calling me blind and/or stupid! I just can’t stand ignorant party members. Your making your whole party look like a bunch of a@ses.
@ABM yup you are typical of the sour grape green machine supporters that can’t get over the fact that 51% of those whose voted where brave enough to change the direction of the island. Say what you will about the OBA, at least they are already lauring the big money people back to Bermuda so you can get a job and support your family.
Actually, I don’t have a party. I used to. But I refused to vote for them this time. For a while I too blindly defended them in trying to justify my previous vote. I wanted to believe that I had voted for the better party in 2007 I was hesitant then but I voted for them in 2007 despite my hesitancy. In 1998 I knew who I was voting for “the better party” and they won the election. I was thrilled it was a great day for democracy. In 2003 I voted for them again and they again won and I was happy but I was disappointed with their actions throughout the term but still outwardly supported them despite my disappointment. Even to the point were I would justify anything they did wrong usually pointing out that the UBP had done it or if they hadn’t UBP had done worse. I couldn’t bear to admit that I had been one of the supporters that had voted them in. In 2007 I am embarassed to say I voted for them again hoping that they would change. In 2012 I said no more I opened my eyes. Yet I still couldn’t bring myself to vote for the opposition. Unfortunately there were no independents in my constituency so I didn’t vote at all. I am not really happy with some of the OBA’s initiatives but I appreciate that they seem to listen to public opinion and try to work with us. When Fahy tried to allow nonBermudian children of expat workers to work without workpermits I disagreed and there was an outcry and the OBA changed the policy. That is listening to the people. I do commend the equalization of the future care payments for all. I am not a senior yet but I will be and that is equity. The OBA is still not very transparent but i can appreciate that they are making an effort. I also like the update given by MP Lawrence Scott in his constituency this is a step in the right direction. I intend to vote in the next election. It remains to be seen whether I will go back to my previous party or vote OBA but in the next election I WILL vote. Both parties have had some good initiatives since the election and both have had some bad initiatives, press releases, rhetoric. Now at least my eyes are open.
Do you think telling people to go sc&^%” their mother makes your party look any better?
You all missed my point. Congrats OBA, you have transcended. Imagine you are invited to St Kitts, where many Bermudians hail to speak as a Guest at a major political event, notice that none of the 4 PLP Premiers were invited, the OBA was invited and Thad Hollis represented, good on him.
Again, PLP time to dissolve as even in St Kitts, you are irrelevant.
Well said Thad.