The Tribune

PRIME Minister Hubert Ingraham and PLP leader Perry Christie were branded as "guilty partners" in the ongoing Atlantis saga that possibly threatens to leave almost 8,000 jobs "hanging in the balance," DNA leader Branville McCartney said yesterday. Speaking to The Tribune yesterday from Cat Island where his team was campaigning with their candidate Shawn Francis, Mr McCartney said that based on the information his party had obtained some time ago, they were the first to warn the Bahamian people that jobs at Atlantis were in jeopardy. At the time, Mr McCartney said, all of their allegations were refuted by the government, particularly by the Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing, who he said was "being very evasive" when Mr Laing said he was not aware of the deal. "In brokering this deal for Baha Mar and Atlantis, neither Christie nor Ingraham considered what was best for the Bahamian people in their negotiations. Now they have put the lives of more than 8,000 people in jeopardy, and this is a good reason for the Bahamian people to ensure that they both of them are not returned to office. "This is the continuation of a series of bad decision-making by two men who have no business acumen or experience in business; two men whose only claim to fame is that they have been politicians all their lives. The Bahamas needs no more career politicians," Mr McCartney said. The DNA's leader also noted that when this action to transfer the ownership of Atlantis to Brookfield Asset Management was first raised in the House of Assembly by the Prime Minister, Mr Ingraham assured workers at the resort that their jobs were secure knowing full well that the deal was not even completed at that time. Mr McCartney said: "This is a man, who has built his whole political career on the notion that he is trustworthy, accountable, and open. And yet he deceived the Bahamian people. "We hope and pray that in this circumstance, this matter will be worked out to the best interest of the Bahamian workers and that their jobs and livelihood will be secure. "It is also very important to note that Kerzner International has made a significant contribution to the development of the Bahamas. We are grateful to him in this regard. It is however unfortunate that he has been put in this position by the self-seeking interest of both Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham." Mr McCartney reiterated his party's position that it is time for the Bahamas to make a real change in this country, starting first with a change in its political leadership.