The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM Minister Obie Wilchcombe would not comment on reports that he is planning to run for the post of deputy leader at the Progressive Liberal Party’s convention in November.

He added that Prime Minister Perry Christie is still executing the agenda he was elected to carry out in 2012 and that now is not the right time for the nation’s leader to step down.

The West End and Bimini MP previously said he had leadership ambitions and would like to be prime minister one day, but has stressed that he would not challenge Mr Christie, the incumbent party leader.

Some PLP insiders have said that Mr Wilchcombe is now eying the party’s deputy leader’s position.

“I am and have always been supportive of Prime Minister Christie and the leadership of the PLP,” Mr Wilchcombe said yesterday.

“Mr Christie has an agenda to complete and he is in full swing of that agenda. We have things we need to complete and it would be wrong for him to back away from the mandate. I support him and at the present time the way the current configuration of the party is. Until such time as things change, I am unable to comment on what I plan or do not plan to do.”

Last Thursday, Mr Christie put speculation about his political future to rest when he announced to a crowd of PLP supporters in North Andros that he plans to offer himself for re-election as leader of the party at its November convention.

Mr Christie told the crowd he would go into the convention as leader and emerge as leader.

Multiple sources within the PLP have said that Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, the party’s current deputy, will join the leadership race, regardless of Mr Christie’s actions.

Some members in the PLP have openly said they would support Mr Davis making a leadership bid at the convention.

“I think (Mr Davis) is a person who has delivered on promises he has made,” former PLP Senator and MP Philip Galanis told The Nassau Guardian recently.

“He responds to people in need of assistance. That’s what we need. We don’t need people who are not going to return phone calls and who are not going to step up to the plate and assist persons who need government assistance.”

Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller has also said he supports Mr Davis’ possible leadership bid.

When asked about his ambitions last Wednesday, Mr Davis was evasive telling reporters he would reveal his plans in “due course”.