The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party leader Perry Christie says the FNM are “late” in revealing their candidates vying for seats in the general elections and will have a difficult time convincing the people to vote them back into office.

Speaking at a press conference in the hall of the party’s headquarters on Farrington Road, the opposition leader said that by contrast his party’s candidates were ratified months and years ago with the exception of five, while the Free National Movement, which just released their slate of candidates yesterday evening, will be faced with great difficulty.

“Well firstly, the Progressive Liberal Party last night, ratified the entire slate of candidates.”

“We ended with five last night (Wednesday). But the good news is, except for Perry Gomez, who made a late entrance into the race, all of our candidates have been in. Some for years. Some for many, many, many months and campaigning.”

The former prime minister said that this far into the election season, with them exposing their candidates and views to the Bahamian public, “the Progressive Liberal Party is well ahead.”

When describing his selection of candidates, he said that they are “second to none.”

“They are an outstanding team of men and women and we are standing on them to be as good as their qualifications suggest they are,” Mr Christie said.

“And so the choice will be made by the Bahamian people. We want to give them the best opportunity to make the choice in our favour.”

Speaking about his party having just disclosed their full lineup of candidates, he said that “with respect to the FNM, for me it is an interesting time in the Bahamas when I’m able to say they are late.”

When asked if he thought the governing party’s decision to reveal 38 candidates so late into the season will do greater harm than good, his response was: “I think they obviously have a difficulty.”

“In this sense,” he added, “they have made two decisions to respond to the fact that we have a significant number of new generation candidates and they’ve had to respond to that.”

“And they’ve therefore had to suffer inviting members of parliament, current members of parliament, to step down.”

The Centreville MP explained that they (FNM) were faced with the problem of unpopularity of candidates in particular areas and “they’ve had to shuffle them.” Some had to step down and others had to move to other constituencies.”

“There is nothing of a secret about someone who has represented a constituency for five to 10 years, having to leave that constituency, and going to another constituency,” he said.

He maintained that the FNM’s late revelation of candidates was due to the PM not wanting to risk unpopular candidates in certain areas, only to lose at the polls on election day.