The Tribune

PRIME MINISTER Christie made his political philosophy very clear Saturday night when he took to the platform at his party’s rally in Treasure Cay, Abaco, in support of the party’s candidate in the North Abaco bye-election.

In short what he told his listeners, both PLP and FNM, was that the FNM might as well vote for his PLP candidate because, win or lose, in the end the opposition would have to go to him to have the projects for their community approved. If the PLP candidate won the North Abaco seat, he said, he would have a seat around government’s table to represent his constituents. The inference was, even if the FNM candidate won, he would not be seated at the table, therefore his voice would be that of a beggar at the mercy of every whim of the governing party. Don’t forget former cabinet minister Philip Bethel’s public pronouncement many years ago that “God gave this country to the PLP.”

No wonder in 1983 Junior Rolle was emboldened to tell the Commission of Inquiry into drug smuggling — without even a smirk on his face — that “in his opinion membership in the ruling PLP gave him and other PLP members entitlement to financial and other considerations.”

We recall the late Sir Etienne Dupuch telling us of his first election in 1925. After he won the Inagua seat in the House of Assembly by one vote, he held a town meeting and told his new constituents that no matter how they voted, he was their representative and intended to treat all of them equally — he would do his best for each and every one of them. And that is the relationship he had with his constituents for all of his 32 years in the Legislature.

However, the PLP have always believed that “to the victor go the spoils.” This is a belief that straddles both sides of the political divide. Former prime minister Hubert Ingraham often had to struggle within his own party against those who believed that they were entitled to the spoils, regardless of their ability.

Unless qualified Bahamians fill the important posts in this country, it will remain a backwater of mediocrity. That is why there has always been tremendous slippage under a PLP government — and that is why we are now hearing so many cries of victimisation as Bahamians are threatened with job losses because of their politics.

If the FNM candidate wins, Mr Christie told Abaconians, and if “Hubert Ingraham, or Minnis, if they want something to happen for you, listen now… Guess what? Do you know who the prime minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas is?

“They could have the best intentions in the world. They can pray and say ‘Oh God, I want to do this.’ But God has spoken. God has made me the prime minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,” Mr Christie boasted.

He said that although Mr Ingraham during his tenure did well by the people of North Abaco — and we might add, the whole Bahamas— “his time is now over.”

God did not make Mr Christie prime minister. The Bahamian people went to the polls and cast their ballots. And just in case Mr Christie harbours Philip Bethel’s belief, neither did God give this country to the PLP.

However, the Bahamian people — at least a minority of them — did return the PLP with Mr Christie at its head in May of this year.

All Bahamians recognise Mr Christie as their prime minister. And, in turn Mr Christie is bound to recognise them equally as Bahamians — not PLP or FNM — but Bahamians worthy of fair treatment. No one in this Commonwealth of the Bahamas should have to beg for their rights.

Mr Christie said his party has gone into Abaco to “uplift the people”, fix the roads, build bridges, and give them all the goodies they want. As an aside we might remind Abaconians that Bahamians in Nassau are now crying for the “goodies” the PLP promised at election time, but which they are yet to see.

However, Mr Ingraham has already uplifted his people. All Mr Christie has to do is continue the work Mr Ingraham left on the drawing board to be completed — and no one should have to get on bended knee to get him to do his political duty.

First of all let’s look at the Treasure Cay Airport, the life-line of North Abaco’s tourism. The runway needs resurfacing.

According to Mr Ingraham, the FNM, concluded a $2.6 million contract with Knowles Construction to facilitate the resurfacing of the runway with hot mix.

“Mr Knowles,” said Mr Ingraham, “requested and we paid $646,000 for the required aggregate to be used on the project. To further assist him we also paid $748,000, the cost of the asphalt needed and we paid $370,000 in mobilisation money. That's $1.764 million on a $2.6 million contract.

However, said Mr Ingraham, “since coming to office the PLP Government has cancelled that contract. They will not resurface the Treasure Cay Airport – the life line of North Abaco. Instead they will determine other works valued at $1.5 million that they will carry out in the constituency. You heard the DPM and Minister of Works talking about some road works he intends to carry out in Abaco? Well he's planning to do that with the money earmarked for the Treasure Cay Airport!”

Now if this isn’t enough to make Abaconians spit nails in anger, we don’t know what is. This alone should cost the PLP the election.

And then there is the matter of the development of the new North Abaco Port and the Angel Fish Creek Bridge. The Ingraham government signed a contract for this work to be done and obtained a loan from the Chinese Export Import Bank to fund the project. In June the Chinese Embassy informed the Christie government that the bank was ready to start disbursement of funds to the contractor to start the work. All that was required was for the Government to make the first payment as agreed in the contract.

The Christie government is yet to do this, although, said Mr Ingraham, “the annual budget approved by this Government in June of this year contains provision for $22.8 million to be dedicated to the construction of these projects. It also contained revenue of $15 million funding to be accessed from the Chinese Export Import Bank. Still nothing has happened and the Chinese Embassy awaits action by the Government.”

According to Mr Ingraham, “the PLP Government has put that project on hold.”

Judging from Prime Minister Christie’s remarks Saturday night it seems that all of this will remain on hold unless North Abaco votes for his man.

Is this the kind of government that the Bahamian people truly want?

We think Mr Christie has to do some serious soul searching: Is he really Prime Minister of the Bahamas, or is he only the Prime Minister of the PLP? We suggest that he takes his conscience to God and they have a little chat.