The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

DNA Leader Branville McCartney yesterday expanded his criticism of the PLP government – labelling the group “as lost as the day is long” – after Prime Minister Perry Christie admitted that Baha Mar’s bankruptcy filing came “without notice” to the government.

Implying that inaccuracies exist in the government’s account of the matter, Mr McCartney said members of the DNA “read with great interest” the statements made by the Christie administration, but were unable to conclude how the government allowed the $3.5bn mega resort to turn to bankruptcy.

He said: “This government touted for the past three years that Baha Mar was going to be the saviour of our economy and, hence, one would have believed that this government would have been intimately involved in every aspect of Baha Mar’s development.

“From all recent reports by this government, there was constant communication with the prime minister, Mr Izmirlian and the Chinese. It begs the question why was the government not aware (of Baha Mar’s planned bankruptcy).”

“It truly begs the question, if the statement is correct, does this PLP government truly have a handle on what is going on in this country? Can they be trusted to continue with the governance of the Bahamian people’s affairs? Or is the PLP government lost, as the day is long?

“We do recall the prime minister stating two weeks ago that he had a meeting with Izmirlian after his returned from China and that he had good news. Another minister in the PLP government announced last week that Baha Mar would be open in November 2015 and that all is well,” added Mr McCartney.

He added that with the economic ramifications of the Baha Mar resort, any “sensible government” would have worked to ensure the project’s success.

Prime Minister Christie and members of his Cabinet held an emergency press conference Tuesday evening, hours after both the FNM and the DNA laid blame for the Baha Mar issue at the feet of the government.

He said the bankruptcy filing came “without notice” on Monday.

At that time Mr Christie said: “The government has been working with all parties and negotiating in good faith, and with an end goal of a successful opening of Baha Mar. The decision by Baha Mar to file for Chapter 11 under the US Bankruptcy Code does not change our end goal.”

Mr Christie said that “it is completely false” to say that his administration had misled the public on the status of the Cable Beach project.

Baha Mar’s opening has been delayed three times.