The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party leader-hopeful Alfred Sears yesterday called the paltry level of endorsements from sitting members of Parliament for incumbent leader Prime Minister Perry Christie to stay on as party leader a “distraction”.

The former attorney general and Fort Charlotte candidate said it was not surprising given the political culture for MPs with executive positions to support their employer; however, he noted that this move lacked vision and was demonstrative of the need for new generation leaders not defined by age but by perspective.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Sears brushed off speculation that his chances of a successful leadership bid were hampered by the fact that he was not a parliamentarian, contending that this element made for the perfect leadership transition given the governing party’s struggle with public trust.

“It is really unfortunate that a debate which ought to be conducted for the benefit of the stalwart councillors and the delegates would be reduced to whether the people I employ, and who serve at my pleasure, come and endorse me. The issues are wider than that - that is a distraction.”

“You are not talking about an independent endorsement, a scientific poll within the organisation, you’re talking about a small handful of persons serving at his [Mr Christie’s] pleasure. And there has not been a flood of response,” he said.

“You cannot simply be ‘I support the leader’, especially when you are dependent on the person you say you’re supporting for your livelihood. When you are holding an executive position, in our political culture, it is not unusual for people to praise the person who is employing them, but where is the vision?

“I think that there has to be,” he said, “when we say ‘new generation’, it must be more than age it must be a vision. It must be a set of ideas, a set of values which will carry the society to a more sustainable, a more inclusive, development process which pays respect to the electorate within our country. One that creates new platforms for innovation and entrepreneurship for young Bahamians.”

Mr Sears, also former minister of education, underscored the critical need for a paradigm shift within the Progressive Liberal Party and the country.

He proposed that a successive generation should be focused on targeting excesses that in the past have led to the appointment of commissions of inquiry, and strategising on how to govern with integrity and transparency. Mr Sears said that his campaign will begin to feature new political voices in the coming weeks, who are not just young but reflect a vision to transform society and harness the creative intellect of Bahamians for growth.

“How do we show respect for the privacy, health, and welfare of the Bahamian people? A new generation should reflect on the value and vision of how to make the Bahamas better, not just that I support the person who has appointed me.”

Mr Christie announced his intent to stay on at the helm of the PLP and lead the party into the next general election during an appearance on the “Ed Fields Live” show on Kiss FM in July. At that time he suggested that instability would arise in the party if he were no longer its leader, pointing out that young members of his government had urged him to stay on. He referred to the bitter infighting that had overcome the Free National Movement in the lead up to its national convention.

While Mr Christie did not name the government members that endorsed him, only a few sitting MPs have expressed public support for his continued leadership: Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald, Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly Dion Smith and Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe.

They have all suggested that Mr Sears would find it difficult to rally support among sitting PLP parliamentarians.

Yesterday, Mr Sears said there was no barrier for him to be elected as leader of the PLP, referring to historical precedence in other countries under the Westminster system and constitutional permission.

Pointing to the loss of trust due to Mr Christie’s turnaround from his pledge while in opposition to step down midterm if re-elected, Mr Sears argued that his leadership bid was the most practical and stable choice for the party. He called Mr Christie’s previous proposal to appoint a successor to lead the country mid-term “absurd”.

“There is a challenge the government has and the leadership of our country has on the element of trust,” he said.

“We have seen it played out in the most recent referendum as many persons basically, including the base of the PLP, on the issue of the equality bills there was a concern about trust.

“It is imperative during such a challenging economic period that the business community, the investment community, have certainty. It would be absurd to go through a general election where the national electorate of this country would have voted in a government with a leadership, and to within the first year, second year of that term, we have a further disruption in terms of changing the leadership.

“Again you have the question of trust because that was publicly stated five years ago. Again it will raise the issue of trust and secondly it would create uncertainty in the business community. People will be waiting to see what will happen in terms of providing a smooth transition or succession in leadership as well as to give the country the best opportunity for there to be – after the general election – a period of certainty and stability. So that investors, both Bahamian and foreign investors, would be able to order their affairs with an appreciation that for the next five years we have a stable government a settled leadership and we all can go about the affairs of turning this economy around growing and diversifying the economy, improving governance structure.

He said: “It would be absurd especially if it is a private agreement within the PLP. It would appear to be even fraudulent because when you present the platform part of the evaluation is the level of confidence in the leadership.

“If the electorate were to go through this entire expensive process of a general election, you would not want there to be a change of leadership midstream, it may cause an outrage and may call for another election.”

Mr Sears reasoned that if elected as leader of the party, he could focus on readying the organisation for the upcoming general election, leaving Mr Christie free to manage the critical affairs of the country, like Baha Mar.

“The prime minister has to stay focused on the issue of Baha Mar,” he said.

“How is it that he would be able to effectively lead the party into general election, travelling the country mobilising the supporters throughout the archipelago and give the careful attention that is needed to complete the Baha Mar project?

“Unfortunately there is so much pending on satisfactory and successful conclusion of this project which could even lead to downgrading of the economy. With a leader-elect, the party has the benefit of refreshing itself and preparing itself for a general election and you have the continuity up until election for the projects which are in the pipeline, the predominant project being Baha Mar.”

Mr Sears added: “I think the Progressive Liberal Party needs a paradigm shift and I intend to, as leader of the party, work towards preserving the legacy of the party while ensuring the party manages its transformation into a new era.”