The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday said the Government never intended to be in “a fight” with Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian, as he denied that recent comments by Cabinet Ministers blasting the developer reflected Government policy.

Speaking with reporters following the groundbreaking ceremony for China Construction America’s (CCA) Pointe development, Mr Christie said a so-called fight with the developer was never the Government’s intention.

“It was never intended to be a fight, it never should be a fight. I am surprised to see that he said he didn’t expect to be in a fight with the Government. I don’t think  he understands what a fight with the Government is. When you fight with Governments, that’s a real fight,” Mr Christie said.

In a letter sent to Baha Mar employees this week, Mr Izmirlian said that over his 13 years working on the project, he “never imagined” he would be “fighting” with the Government over the $3.5 billion property.

Mr Izmirlian also lamented that the project has “now been usurped for political reasons”. He hit out at the Government’s “deplorable” decision not to pay the resort’s foreign workers their salaries last week.

His comments came after foreign affairs and immigration minister, Fred Mitchell, reminded Mr Izmirlian that his permanent resident status in this country could be revoked after his “attacks” against the Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Shane Gibson, minister of labour and national insurance, defended Mr Mitchell and suggested that the Government should now begin performing “psychological evaluations” on all foreign developers seeking to do business in the Bahamas.

Mr Gibson also blasted Mr Izmirlian for “acting contrary to the policies and rules of the Bahamas”. He said Mr Mitchell had a right as foreign affairs minister to scold Mr Izmirlian, who “because he has a couple dollars, believes that he could come to the Bahamas, and talk to us and the prime minister any way he feel like”.

Mr Christie, though, said the remarks of his ministers did not reflect the views of the Government. “Some ministers have made remarks. I noted the remarks,” he said.

“They were remarks that they spoke to me about, saying: ‘I’m going to say this and that’. They made remarks, and those remarks reflect how they felt. All of the remarks that were made were personal and peculiar to the minister. It doesn’t reflect the views of the Government. The Government’s views will be reflected by me,” said Mr Christie.

“Ministers were reflecting their feelings, and both ministers who spoke said they were doing it because  they were offended that there was disrespect to the Office of the Prime Minister. I accept that is what they said and why they said it, but it was peculiar to them and the Government of the Bahamas is spoken for on behalf of myself in this matter.”Mr Christie said he has written a letter to Mr Izmirlian urging him to meet with China Construction America and the China Export-Import Bank to resolve the outstanding issues over the stalled $3.5 billion project.