The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday suggested that it was FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis who had been uncooperative in scheduling a briefing earlier this week to discuss the status of Baha Mar following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing last week.

Mr Christie said Dr Minnis had “some serious difficulty” within his own party regarding his credibility, adding: “He has to fight his way through that and I understand that. Whatever advantage he can get out of saying what he is saying, then fine.”

On Monday, Dr Minnis said he left the Office of the Prime Minister extremely upset after Mr Christie showed up to a planned meeting nearly an hour late to consult on Baha Mar. Dr Minnis said the briefing was expected to begin at 10am.

While the prime minister admitted yesterday that he received a letter from Dr Minnis requesting a 10am meeting, he said he advised the FNM leader that he would not be available at that time because Cabinet was set to meet at the same time.

Acting Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis at the time had convened Cabinet as Mr Christie was in Barbados on official business, he said.

“When I first invited the leader of the opposition to come to my office he agreed,” Mr Christie explained. “He asked me how many people should come with him. He said he would want to have his deputy come. I said ‘no problem, bring your deputy and if you can’t find your deputy bring one other.’

“He then called me back to say he needs to consult. When I arrived from Barbados, he sent me a letter saying he wants to come in for consultation at 10am on Monday. I immediately had my office call his office to say that the Cabinet had been called into session in my absence by the deputy prime minister for 10am on Monday.

“His office told my office that was the only time he could meet. I then asked to speak to him. They said he was unavailable and that he would call me back. He didn’t.”

Mr Christie said he had planned to break from Cabinet at 11am but he received a call from his secretary, who said the Killarney MP was at his office, accompanied by a delegation of several persons.

This included FNM Chairman Michael Pintard, along with several FNM senators and members of Parliament.

“That is not a constitutional consultation,” Mr Christie said. “I have done it so many times with (former prime minister) Hubert Ingraham where I as leader of the opposition would go into the office.

“At our level, it is between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.

“I then told my office that I would come down there now to tell him that I will not meet a delegation from the FNM. I would meet with him and another as I had agreed.”

Mr Christie said he arrived at around 10.33am to see Dr Minnis and his contingent storming out of the building. At that time, he said he returned to Cabinet.

Apart from personally attempting to reach Dr Minnis, Mr Christie said his secretaries had also spoken to the FNM leader’s staff to advise that Mr Christie would be available at 11am.

Yesterday, Dr Minnis shrugged off criticism of his decision to leave on Monday. He declined to clarify the events further, but added that he is still willing to meet with Mr Christie on the matter once the government provides him with the relevant documents on Baha Mar.

He also expressed shock at this week’s war of words between Mr Christie and Baha Mar CEO and Chairman Sarkis Izmirlian. Dr Minnis said he hoped both parties would put the country’s future in focus and get back to acting like “mature individuals”.

“We have serious issues facing this nation,” Dr Minnis said. “This is not the time to enter into a pissing match with the prime minister over time, that’s immaturity and child’s play.

“It’s regrettable that the prime minister and the investor are arguing back and forth in the media, I did not expect either to act in that way and it doesn’t send out the correct message internationally. We need to act as mature individuals.”