The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was evasive when asked yesterday if he will join Alfred Sears and challenge Prime Minister Perry Christie for leader of the Progressive Liberal Party in November.

“I don’t discourage ambition,” he said in response to Mr Sears’ decision to challenge Mr Christie.

He then repeated the line when asked about his own plans.

Asked if he thinks Mr Sears stands a chance, he said: “The results will tell.”

Many believe it is a tall order to defeat Mr Christie in a leadership contest, but some party insiders believe that of all potential challengers, Mr Davis stands the best chance of succeeding.

He has not hidden his desire to someday lead the party.

Although he has been evasive about whether he will challenge Mr Christie, he told reporters last year that “a lot of people” support him for the leadership post, adding that he has “always been ready” to ascend to that position.

More recently, Mr Davis contradicted Mr Christie’s suggestion that the PLP would become unstable if he no longer leads the party.

His comment came after Mr Christie said he will run for leader again because he provides stability to his party and because young members of his government have encouraged him to stay on.

“The PLP always finds a way to right its way at any given time despite whatever happens,” Mr Davis said in response to Mr Christie’s comments about PLP stability.

Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader Branville McCartney also weighed in on the PLP leadership race, suggesting during an appearance on the 96.9 FM show The Revolution yesterday that the race is stacked in Mr Christie’s favour.

“We have this sham of a leadership race now with Alfred Sears,” Mr McCartney told the show’s host, Juan McCartney. “That’s a sham. Alfred Sears can’t win that. Perry Christie today can determine if he wants a thousand more stalwart councillors. And this is a sham to show.

“What the PLP is going to do, they’re going to say that they have this leadership race, and they’re going to – although Mr Alfred Sears cannot win – they’re going to do it in a very dignified way, and almost show where comparing their leadership race to the FNM’s leadership race, and they’re really going to show up the FNM. But it’s a sham.

“If you want a real race for leadership. It ought to be between the deputy prime minister and the prime minister. Now that wouldn’t be a sham. Because you would recall that...this is the prime minister that says he is building a bridge to the future. Well that bridge has blown up. That bridge has disintegrated. This is the prime minister that said that all is well and all will be good. We’re suffering in this country,” Mr McCartney said.

Mr Sears, a former attorney general and minister of education, was recently ratified as the PLP’s election candidate for the Ft Charlotte constituency. He represented the area from 2002-2012.