By SANCHESKA DORSETT
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday said he was “disappointed” that Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis would use Hurricane Matthew as tool to “divide the country politically” instead of acknowledging that the government is “doing a good job” in the aftermath.
Mr Christie called Dr Minnis’ accusation that the government’s recovery and restoration efforts will involve cronyism and victimisation “one of the most idiotic” statements he has ever heard.
On Tuesday, during a press conference, Dr Minnis attacked the Christie administration and accused the government of corrupt behaviour. He also criticised the government’s response before and after the storm.
Following the storm, Dr Minnis visited North Andros and Grand Bahama, two areas hardest hit by Matthew, with Mr Christie.
However, he said on Tuesday that he did not discuss his concerns with the government’s response to Matthew during the trip with the Prime Minister.
“I am disappointed in what is really an idiotic statement,” Mr Christie told reporters during a tour of Grand Bahama and Andros yesterday. “It really is one of the most idiotic things I have heard during a disaster.”
“For the Leader of the Opposition, an alternative Prime Minister, to be able to make that kind of commentary is disappointing. I know we are in the silly season of politics and they have to make decisions as to whether or not they can acknowledge that the government is doing a good job but when it comes to disaster the work is yet to be done.
“To go and divide politically now is absurd. What must I say now, the FNM now has decided to make it political, so let me put on my political lens and all I see is politics? That is not right for this country and it is wrong for him to have done that. That is why I call it idiotic.”
Mr Christie said the government did everything to warn and prepare Bahamians of the destruction that Hurricane Matthew could potentially cause.
“I am absolutely amazed at his comments,” he added. “I brought the Leader of the Opposition out here so he could see for himself that if you take all the newspapers and all the broadcasts, we warned the people over and over without even knowing that this was going to be very serious.
“We spoke about surges that would come in the aftermath of the hurricane, that would be high as 15 feet. We said to them, ‘if you have a surge of five feet, it could cover 80 per cent of the country’. All of these things we said.
“I spoke often about the speech I made in Paris. I don’t need to look for evidence that the sea can claim the land, Long Island was proof positive of it in Joaquin. So we brought him out and it is an idiotic thing for him to say because the context of his coming is, in the way I went with Hubert Ingraham, during hurricanes, was for us to put this above partisan politics and for us to acknowledge that if he had a recommendation to make, that we were open to hear it and to see and determine whether it was something we would implement.”
Comments
John 8 years, 2 months ago
Anyone who seeks to bring more separation and strife among the Bahamian people at this time is unwise. All political flags and rhetoric and other paraphernalia should put away at this time. There should be one United Bahamas focused on bringing recovery to those who have suffered tremendously as a result of Hurricane Mathew and every effort should be geared towards returning the country to normalcy.
ThisIsOurs 8 years, 2 months ago
Please, somebody better watch Shane
sheeprunner12 8 years, 2 months ago
HAM did the same thing in Joaquin and it did him no good ........... is he that daft???????
ThisIsOurs 8 years, 2 months ago
A crook will always be a crook, because they don't see nothing wrong with crookin'.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 2 months ago
The CEO's of the local clearing banks, both the Canadian controlled banks and the Bahamian owned ones, should be telling Christie in a blunt forthright manner that they cannot afford to run the finances of their banks in the same way that Christie runs the finances of the Bank of The Bahamas (BoB) and our country; otherwise they would quickly become as financially crippled as BoB and the entire nation of the Bahamas! If Christie wrongfully tries through legislation and/or regulation to force the local clearing banks to buy hurricane relief effort bonds issued by the corrupt Christie-led PLP government, the Canadian controlled banks (RBC, RBC-FINCO, CIBC-FCIB and BNS) should all balk and make plans to exit the Bahamas at the earliest possible time. Christie and his two lackies, Michael Halkitis and John Rolle, have about as much financial sense between them as three budgies accidentally given gin or vodka instead of water!
sheeprunner12 8 years, 2 months ago
This proves my theory at last ............ only an idiot can identify another idiot ........ ah, Lord
southernstargazer 8 years, 2 months ago
Why is it when anyone dares to give even minor critiques of this government and other governing bodies in this country, there is an attempt to slay their character.? "Idiotic" is a word that does not mesh here. When gross errors are pointed out or questions are asked suddenly the person who is asking or seeking some clarity is an "idiot"? A good Chinese proverb says “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever”. Maybe, those of similar views as that of the PM might take note since this is coming from their favorite country. So sit back, watch, say and do nothing is the proposed roll for Bahamians. Anything otherwise is called idiocy.
TalRussell 8 years, 2 months ago
Comrade The Rt. Honourable Prime Minister Christie, took only 4 days to use his loose lips intellect to label Her Majesty's Official Opposition Party's Leader as ‘Idiotic. But had no problem remaining all tight-lipped this past June 4, 2016 on the 27th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square about how the Chinese government violently suppressed peaceful student protests in and around Tiananmen Square.
How quickly we are to forget China's recent 'gift' to The Bahamaland's PLP government of $1.2 million to buy military equipment, including 'anti-riot grenade launchers' and tear gas grenades, among other things, all a 'gift' courtesy from the same Chinese government.
A 'gift' made only after the PLP cabinet were given the opportunity by the Chinese government to list it's military equipment needs.
Comrades! I only wish I had just made all this ' grenade launchers' stuff up.
Okay, here's a special project for Long Island's Loretta. Standup on the floor of the Honourable House of Assembly to demand that the Minister For The Peoples National Security, does provide the public with an itemized list accounting for all the military and riot gear items, he purchased with that $1.2 million 'gift' from the Chinese?
http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2016…
paul_vincent_zecchino 8 years, 2 months ago
The chicoms know exactly what they're doing, smiling as they so do.
Thank you for remembering Tianenman Square massacre, in which chicom government goons drove tanks over young men and women who merely wished to live free.
There was too much money, supposedly, in 'trade' with China, so the international community said nothing.
During the 2000s, our billionaire compu-geeks who've more dollars than sense, the Goo-Goo Boyzs from Google, Gates, the rest of them gave in to chicom demands to censor the Net in China.
The compu-geek billionaires wanted more money, so they worked with the chicoms to not merely censor the Net, but actually identify anyone who googled words such as 'liberty', 'freedom', 'Constitution', 'Second Amendment', and similar, so that chicom government thugs could go to their homes and arrest them.
China remains a communist country, nothing has changed. Yeah, they engage in 'free trade' with BigKorpseorate cronies, and China's cities are gaily lit up at night, but the Chinese people remain under oppression.
American businesspeople who work and visit there report that hotel rooms and phones are all bugged as is the internet, and the chicoms are legendary for stealing business proprietary information and copying it and selling it to others.
The chicoms know exactly what they are doing, and the official government policy remains:
"Use capitalism to build communism to destroy the West."
Required 8 years, 2 months ago
Idiots... it takes one to know one.
sealice 8 years, 2 months ago
Entire Country Denounces Criticism By PLP Leader As ‘Idiotic’
sheeprunner12 8 years, 2 months ago
Agreed ............ Idiotic ass as idiotic does (and Perry talks ass too!!!!!!!) ........ The Bahamas will condemn the idiocy of Perry & the PLP at Election 2017
jus2cents 8 years, 2 months ago
The only one making this 'political' is the PM in this outburst, he needs to get priorities in order and FAST, before he f#@&'s up everything.
This has been an awful reaction to a hurricane, in the lead up...He had the trees trimmed in front of his home and the last photo of PM he was seen praying!? and his response in the aftermath is flying around the islands for photo ops. (not taking aid on the planes?) and stuff like this press statement^.....it is pathetic.
Was he even on the island when the hurricane hit?
TalRussell 8 years, 2 months ago
Comrade Banker, under another page's post you would have offered valid points when you posted that: "Democracy is debatable. The will of the people is supposed to be carried out by the elected members. Instead they rob, cheat, steal and copulate where ever their members are pointing."
Comrade Banker, you would have been dead-on corrrect, if it were not so that under our long entrenched party t-shirts colours system whereby voters willingly turn-over 'The Will Of The People' to their elected politicians selected by the two main PLP and Red Movement political parties to vote along party lines irrespective of what their constituents want.
paul_vincent_zecchino 8 years, 2 months ago
Sir,
Well said. Thank you.
licks2 8 years, 2 months ago
This PM as taken our country for the ride of its life. . .AD HOMANIC out bursts often shows that one is out of his dept. . .OUR PM SEEMS LOST AND ODN'T HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS AND HENCE HIS AND HIS PARTY CONSTANT RUDE OUTBURSTS!
He got mad the other day when his family was "pulled" into the fray . . .for reasons such as this. . .MR PM "kecth yasef" please. . .
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