The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Chairman Michael Pintard said yesterday the opposition was not “surprised” that Prime Minister Perry Christie has decided to run for leader of the Progressive Liberal Party again, despite being “clearly tired” and “out of ideas on how to run the country”.

Mr Pintard told The Tribune that the only thing worse than Mr Christie remaining the country’s leader, would be Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis becoming prime minister.

On Thursday, Mr Christie put questions about his future to rest when, at a North Andros PLP branch meeting, he declared: “I will go in (to the convention) as party leader and I will come out as party leader.”

Meanwhile, multiple sources within the PLP have insisted that Mr Davis, minister of works and urban development, will also join the leadership race.

When contacted yesterday, Mr Pintard said regardless of who emerges as leader after the PLP’s convention, the FNM’s ability to win the next general election depends on what it does going forward.

“We always understood that Mr Christie intended to offer himself again not withstanding the poor performance of his administration and their inability to fulfil promises they made in the (PLP’s) charter,” Mr Pintard said.

“Mr Christie appears to be tired and clearly out of ideas in terms of how to move the country forward. This is not just the view of the opposition but many senior members and new members of the PLP as well. The FNM’s destiny is controlled by the FNM.

“The people are tired of the PLP and the PLP isn’t giving them any real options. The FNM has to ensure that we carefully roll out our platform and the message resonates with the Bahamian people, which we are now in the process of doing.”

Mr Pintard added: “The only thing worse than Mr Christie prevailing would be the elevation of (Mr Davis), given his abysmal performance as the deputy prime minister and in Parliament. This administration has had numerous controversies and Mr Davis had been at the centre (many) of them and it would certainly be unfortunate if he were to emerge as leader. The country is hungry for fresh leadership and a generation shift, neither Christie nor Davis can reflect that.”

Reacting to the news on Thursday night, a well-placed source in the PLP said a decision by Mr Christie to run again for party leader would upset many in the organisation.

According to the senior PLP, at a special Cabinet meeting last Wednesday, Mr Christie accused Mr Davis, his deputy leader, of trying to undermine him.

“Brave stood up to him and said ‘I intend to do what I have to do, and I intend to explore all of my options, because I don’t expect that you will be on the ticket,’” the PLP source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.

“He (Mr Christie) never told them he was running. (On Wednesday) they met for a few hours and he was livid and pained that someone would attempt to go up against him in an election. Brave said he did not expect him to be a candidate because he (Mr Christie) told the public this would be his last election (in 2012). Brave said he expects Obie (Wilchcombe) and others to run, not Christie.”

The source added that the prime minister has told members of the PLP that his legacy is not finished.

The PLP’s convention is scheduled for the first week of November. It will be the party’s first convention since 2009, even though the organisation’s constitution mandates that it hold such an event every year.