Prime Minister Perry Christie at the PLP's mass rally. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie urged supporters last night to brace for more political “mischief” hours after he sidestepped questions over leaked emails which show that Cabinet minister Jerome Fitzgerald solicited lucrative brokerage, trucking, and limousine contracts from Baha Mar.
Mr Christie did not directly address the leaked email scandal when he took the stage at Arawak Cay for the party’s first New Providence mass rally of the
election cycle, and also refused questions from the Tribune earlier that day.
Instead, he told supporters to expect more “clouds of nonsense” from the Free National Movement (FNM) as the opposition party grew more panicked and desperate ahead of the May 10 general election.
“They (FNM) are talking down their country and you must not forgive them for that,” Mr Christie said.
“Every right-thinking Bahamian must be aware of the importance of Baha Mar. They are unhappy because Baha Mar is opening and they’re throwing up all sorts of clouds of nonsense, they’re churning it up everyday hoping to obscure and hide from you the fundamental truth, which is that come tomorrow morning (Friday), Baha Mar is opening its doors for business and I say again it is a triumph for Bahamians,” he said.
“It is for me to tell you that what is sad about this is that it shows the moral character of the FNM that they would vote against, talk against, the success of this country.”
Mr Christie said: “Instead of thinking about thousands of Bahamians having jobs, they are thinking about how Baha Mar is going to effect their political chances. My friends, brace yourselves, we have not seen the last of their mischief.
“The more that they panic, the more desperate they will become, the more desperate they will become, the more nasty, dirty, crazy, things they will say.
“Prepare for it,” he continued, “I try to tell my colleagues I pay them no mind, because when you have the truth and the people on your side, then God is on your side.”
Emails leaked from a data breach of China Construction America’s (CCA) servers show that from as early as 2013, Mr Fitzgerald was seeking to secure millions of dollars in brokerage, trucking, and limousine contracts at Baha Mar while he sat in Cabinet as the minister of education, science and technology.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Fitzgerald admitted that he spoke with Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian in person and email over the years. He said his father had engaged in discussions with Baha Mar to get some work before he fell ill, and after his father’s sickness, Mr Fitzgerald said he “wrote to Sarkis to follow up on those discussions and seek his assistance.”
The government did not release a statement on the matter up to press time, despite repeated media requests.
The narrative of an over-arching smear campaign orchestrated by the FNM and funded by vengeful foreign investors, was a consistent theme in remarks from most of the speakers that took the stage last night.
Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis, incumbent for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, spoke to the existence of a “well-heeled negative campaign against the PLP” that was set into motion when the party took office in 2012. He urged Bahamians to question why the FNM, which he dubbed the “Foreign National Movement,” would spend so much money just to make the PLP look bad. He warned supporters to watch the newspapers, adding that they must be “brave” in the face of detractors to proudly defend the party.
For his part, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell declared that yesterday’s edition of The Tribune marked the start of “a campaign of lies and obfuscation.”
“I don’t want anybody to go wobbly,” Mr Mitchell said.
“We are not apologetic Negroes. We are not on our knees. We are going to stand up on our hind legs and resist this attempt to subvert the country by people who are representing foreign interests. If nothing else convinced you over the last few weeks, what you are dealing with is the foreign national movement. Today’s events in The Tribune ought to tell you that.”
He maintained longstanding accusations that the FNM was being funded by Mr Izmirlian, and Lyford Cay billionaire Louis Bacon and lawyer Fred Smith; and further claimed that this newspaper had $100,000 worth of anti-PLP ads in Thursday’s edition.
“We need to expose them, we need to follow the money, follow the money trail, it tells you exactly who is behind the Free National Movement.”
“ . . . The money trail is the same,” he continued.
“All of it is coming from one source, the QC in Freeport, he must be exposed, he must show that the money trail leads back to a bitter billionaire who want to get rid of the PLP. We must call the Free National Movement out on this, stop being the ‘Foreign National Movement’ and represent the interests of the Bahamian people.”
Comments
licks2 7 years, 7 months ago
He he he he he. . . wha he sayin? Chile please. . .lol!
themessenger 7 years, 7 months ago
How Fred could fix his mout 'bout stannin on he hind legs when he been on he hands and knees bennin ova all dese years.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 7 months ago
Big Bad Brad says he has many "bombshells" to drop on the FNM ....... well by damn!!!!!!
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 7 months ago
Typical demented Christie....confusing mischievousness with outright criminality!
WRONG could smack Christie on the RIGHT side of his face, and RIGHT could smack him on the LEFT side of his face, and not only would he not know the difference, but he even would not know his face had been smacked!
Boydie 7 years, 7 months ago
When they're a goblin There ain't a problin When they're a goblin I start a-wobblin' Pink all over Some is tan
Frank Zappa
realfreethinker 7 years, 7 months ago
Hahahahahah. what a good laugh I couldn't even finish reading that shit
Sickened 7 years, 7 months ago
The public has been talking about political mischief for 5 years now. He just now realizes that his cabinet is mischievous?
SP 7 years, 7 months ago
........................................................... Translation ..........................................................
"Pm Warns Of Massive PLP Corruption Being Exposed"
sheeprunner12 7 years, 7 months ago
After reading all of the attached comments ........ Minnis is going to be the next PM ............ and he will usher in a new political culture ....... His ethos and philosophy is on public record ............. But smearing his character and questioning his ability to manage a Cabinet should be looked at in the context of his handling of the LBT coup ........ That should have been the standard by which Minnis will govern .............. Minnis took his blows publicly like a man, he personally rebounded from being vilified, he consolidated the FNM, he recruited new talent, and he is successfully moving towards an election victory on May 10, 2017 ......... Vote FNM!!!!!
MINNIS WILL GOVERN IN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF F.N.M. ....... CECIL & ISAACS
THE PLPs KNOW THAT MINNIS IS NOT GOING TO TOLERATE THEIR CORRUPTION
TalRussell 7 years, 7 months ago
Comrade SheepRunner12, you tell a pretty Minnis story and that I give you - but not since the last Sir Stafford's Bay Street Boys ruling majority government, has there been a perfect General Election win - not even under Pindling's, first majority win.
banker 7 years, 7 months ago
Repent. Thou foul PLP spirit -- OUT !!!!
killemwitdakno 7 years, 7 months ago
Mischief is planting instigators in the other party's shirts.
John 7 years, 7 months ago
PLP's are panicking and jumping ship faster than you can blink an eye. Can someone please call Hubert Minnis and remind this country still needs Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition and so he mustn't take all the PLP's. And also tell them not make the speeches too long cause some people have work the next day.
SP 7 years, 7 months ago
......SheepRunner12 Dr. Minnis Finds Himself Between A Rock And A Very Hard Place....
Dr. Minnis might be the only logical choice we have, however, he is hogtied to corruption with the FNM 2012 Vincent Vaderpool Wallace $5M scandal and the Fred Ramsey BEC Cabinet payoff!
How will/could Dr. Minnis address Jerome Fitzgerald & PLP corruption when his own FNM party is buried in corruption?
If Dr. Minnis is as smart as he proved to be so far, he would deal with ALL equally and place them ALL before the courts!
Otherwise Dr. Minnis positions himself as just another corrupt politician.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 7 months ago
SP ...... I have read some insightful tidbits from you ....... but I am not sure if you can judge Minnis by Ingraham's standard ....... They are two very different types of political leaders ........ the only thing that link them is that Ingraham handpicked Minnis over Neko or LBT ........ and we know how that played out since 2012 .......... One thing we know now: Minnis was no Tommy
John 7 years, 7 months ago
Can someone tell Perry Christie to tell his PLPs that when they come to FNM rallies they must learn to behave and not pick sin. Even if they come in they yellow shirts they are still welcome but they mustn't fight, especially the young women. Act respectful when you have on Perry shirts.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 7 months ago
PLPs are entitled brats ........... they cannot behave (especially when the candy is taken away from them) .................. BOL
moncurcool 7 years, 7 months ago
I'm disappointed this man calling on God, since he already said that you can prayer to God but still have to come to him for what you want. Now he talk about God on his side. . Let me correct you quick. Abraham Lincoln, a very successful politician with a good legacy, had it right: The question is not if God is on my side, but whether I'm on HIs? . So get it right. It is not if God is on your side Perry, but whether you are on his side.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 7 months ago
Perry may have been recently influenced by Confucius ............... SMDH
moncurcool 7 years, 7 months ago
Really can't believe Fred still trying to use this tried racist politics still. People like me were nowhere around in the bygone era of the 60s that you'll still live in. I only know being opposed by the black majority leaders that have lead this country.
John 7 years, 7 months ago
Can someone please explain why kinda political prostitute Rodney Moncur is? He was in the DNA quit and went to the FNM. Then he turns against Hubert Minnis and becomes a senator for Loretta Butler-Turner. Now yesterday day he publicly endorsed Perry Christie as leader of the PLP. And after taking thousands of sponsors money under the pretense of being an FNM he has abandoned his talk show and on the national station singing the praises of the PLP. This is after he accused the PLP and the commissioner of police to cause his house to get burned down and how badly he talked of Perry Christie swimming through his vomit to go back to the PLP. Did Perry Christie promise him another senate post?
SP 7 years, 7 months ago
People Actually Listen & Follow Rodney Moncur?
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