The Tribune

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday said it was not his intention to “diminish” the sacrifice of the four marines who were killed aboard HMBS Flamingo, when he set the general election on the 37th anniversary of their deaths.

Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of Urban Renewal’s Uplifting Programme at Windsor Park on Wednesday, Mr Christie said he will be attending the memorial ceremony at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (FBDF) Base on May 10 and the government plans on “doing more” to memorialise the men.

On Tuesday, Mr Christie announced that the general election will be held on May 10. While many were looking forward to Mr Christie’s announcement, not everyone was happy with the date chosen and accused the government of being “uncaring”.

On May 10, 1980, after arresting two Cuban fishing vessels near the Ragged Island chain, Able Seaman Fenrick Sturrup, 21, Marine Seaman Austin Rudolph Smith, 21, Marine Seaman David Allison Tucker, 21, and Marine Seaman Edward Arnold Williams, 23, were killed when Cuban jets fired on and sank HMBS Flamingo.

“I want to make sure that everybody fully understands that we have not diminished the meaning and the sacrifice of the young men and that in anything we want to even do more to memorialise them,” Mr Christie said on Wednesday.

“It is a date that I propose to attend the function, ‘Butch’ Scavella will also attend the function,” he said, referring to former RBDF Commodore Clifford Scavella, who is also a PLP election candidate.

“I propose to lift the function up and speak to it and give it meaning and hopefully whenever I speak to it, not withstanding the fact that it is Election Day, people will understand fully.”

Mr Christie also told a crowd of supporters at Windsor Park that he does not “need to play politics” to win his Centreville seat for the ninth time as he declared that despite all the “fiery darts and arrows that are thrown against him” God will be his ultimate protection.

He said he “doesn’t care” who talks about him or who is “nasty toward” him, because at the end of the day “it is the people” who will decide who leads the country.

“The one thing all of you would know is I don’t need to play politics to win Centreville. Everybody in here must know that and everybody knows I have won it for eight consecutive elections over 40 years. God is able and God is good,” Mr Christie said.

“And let me tell you this, I know the preacher preached, but the one thing I take with me is verses from the book of Ephesians that I repeat all the time. “They go like this ‘put on the full armour of God, so when the day of evil or the day of testing comes you are able to stand your ground and when you have done your best to stand, you still stand with the belt of truth wrapped around your waist with the breast plate of righteousness and feet made ready by the gospel.’ Let me tell you the ultimate protection it gives you, it speaks of the shield of faith that will protect me against the fiery darts and arrows that will be thrown. So I don’t care who says what about me, I don’t care how critical they are I don’t care how nasty they are, at the end of the day I have the faith that God is good, God is able and God will always be present. At the end of the day you will decide what is best for you. You will decide that and you are not going to have long to decide it. You will decide who leads.”

Prime Minister Christie also called for peace during the run up to next month’s election and said persons should not let their political affiliations tear families and friendships apart.

“When brothers and sisters fall out because of politics it is wrong, you cannot do that, neighbours you cannot do that,” Mr Christie said.

“Our candidates must respect each other, we must be able to demonstrate that we can have elections and still be at peace. We have always had it peacefully without violence, without hatred and without any kind of manifestation that is dangerous to our democracy and our stability.”