The Tribune

THE PLP's candidate for North Abaco will beat Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, opposition leader Perry Christie predicted yesterday.

Speaking at a mass rally in Abaco last night, Mr Christie told the crowd the island had joined the "Gold Rush" and would deliver two big wins for the PLP - Gary Sawyer in the south and Renaldo Curry in the north.

Mr Christie said: "Both Gary and Renaldo will have important roles to play in the next PLP government, beginning next week.

"Imagine: Edison Key - gone! Hubert Alexander Ingraham - gone, gone! FNM - gone, gone, gone!"

Mr Christie went on to once again clarify his position on the question of drilling for oil in Bahamian waters.

He noted that when he was Prime Minister he granted oil exploration licenses, insisting on two things - the first being the strictest environmental and safety standards.

Mr Christie said: "In particular, there would be no drilling unless the government was completely satisfied on these points.

"This would inevitably mean the creation of a whole new set of regulations on environmental protection and human safety before any drilling would be allowed. That was my position then. That's my position now. And that will be the position of my new administration.

"The second thing I insisted on is that the principals of any licensed company must have an extensive and unblemished history of oil exploration."

By contrast, he claimed, the FNM granted a licence with no environmental or safety conditions in place, to a company with no history of oil exploration.

In 2008, the FNM put a halt to all oil drilling in the Bahamas until environmental and safety regulations could be put in place.