The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

PLP candidate Renardo Curry, who lost to former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham back in May, is likely to once again contest for the North Abaco seat in the up-coming by-election.

Speaking yesterday, Prime Minister Perry Christie said the PLP will still meet with any hopefuls who offer themselves to run for the seat prior to a formal announcement of a candidate, but he is unaware of any other potential candidates.

“Obviously we are going to contest the by-election and obviously were going to try to say to the people who are in the North Abaco constituency that it is best for them to have our man elected,” Mr Christie said.

“I think I know who our candidate will be but we have formal meetings with the candidates committee later this week and a press conference where we will announce our candidate for the by-election. That is scheduled upon Mr Ingraham retiring.”

However although formal meetings will take place, Prime Minister Christie said Mr Curry - who loss his bid in the May 7th election to Mr Ingraham by less than 400 votes – is likely to once again run for the seat.

“I would have thought Mr Curry would have been our candidate so if we can cut to the quick on that . . . but it is a process that we have to go through and I’m not sure whether anyone else has applied but it seems to me that he has a very distinct advantage over any other candidate,” he said.

When asked when exactly a formal announcement of the PLP’s North Abaco candidate will be made, Mr Christie explained that hinges on Mr Ingraham’s official retirement.

“You know when someone sets a date that is in the future you wait until that happens because politics is so dynamic, things and events change,” he said. “We’ll see in Parliament tomorrow (today). Another step in Mr Ingraham’s political life will be taken and we’ll see whether or not he speaks in Parliament to his retirement and then we would in consequence of that make a decision about the by-election.”

PLP party chairman Bradley Roberts also confirmed Mr Curry is the frontrunner and expressed confidence of a PLP win in North Abaco despite eight consecutive wins by former FNM leader Mr Ingraham in that constituency.

“I’m very confident that he will be (the North Abaco candidate) and he has the support of all the candidates who expressed interest in the past,” Mr Roberts said of Mr Curry.

When asked if the party is confident of taking Mr Ingraham’s soon-to-be former seat, Mr Roberts drew comparisons to another famed leader whose seat, upon retiring, changed hands to another party.

“Sir Lynden Pindling won the seat in Andros for who knows how many years and then he retired and the FNM won the seat. Sir Lynden Pindling was a stronger, more dynamic, more embracing leader that Hubert Ingraham could ever be,” Mr Roberts said.

“I invite you stay tuned and you will see there results that the people of Abaco will bring forward whenever the by-elections are held.”