The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie said yesterday that if Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe wants to lead the Progressive Liberal Party, then he would have to beat him in an election at a party convention.

“Don’t mind them talking about me, I am here as a product of this wonderful democracy we have here and democracy means to the young ones…if Obie wants my job, he has to beat me out to get it,” Mr Christie joked while speaking at the Exuma Business Outlook at the Sandals Emerald Bay Resort. He continued: “In other words, he has to have an election and the people have to decide. If the people decide that’s what they want, why people want get vex with them? Why get vex? I could dance better than Obie anyhow.”

In June, Mr Wilchcombe announced his aspirations to lead the PLP, saying if he had the chance to become prime minister he would take it.

However, Mr Wilchcombe later backed away from his initial statement saying he would not compete with Prime Minister Perry Christie if the 72-year-old offers to lead the PLP at the party’s convention.

Last week, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts announced the party’s decision to postpone its November convention until next year because of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Joaquin in the Family Islands and the recovery efforts underway.

The party planned to hold its convention early next month when all executive positions would have been open to be contested.

However, given the current circumstances, Mr Roberts said a new tentative date of April 2016 has been set.

The decision came following a Convention Committee meeting last week Tuesday where it was decided that it would be best to postpone the political event, as the affected islands needed the government’s full attention.

Before the postponement, Mr Christie had declared his intent to run again for the PLP’s top post and predicted that he would retain his position after the convention.