The Tribune

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Attorney General and Progressive Liberal Party candidate for Fort Charlotte Alfred Sears, QC, said the PLP’s greatest chance at winning the next election is with him as leader.

In an interview on Hot 91.7 FM’s “Morning Madhouse” with host “C-Note”, Mr Sears said it is time to for the PLP to “bench” Prime Minister Perry Christie and put him “in the game”.

Mr Sears said he still remains confident, after meeting with stalwarts and branch executives, that he will be the next leader of the PLP and the country’s next prime minister despite the odds being stacked against him at the party’s upcoming convention.

“A party’s primary objective is to win the election and the party will have to make a determination during convention: ‘Is the PLP best able to win the next general election under the incumbent or under myself of some other person?’ Well, the chances of the PLP being re-elected are far better with me than with Mr Christie,” Mr Sears said on Monday.

“If your star player is not making the shots, do you let the star player stay on the court with the almost certainty that they will lose the game or do you put the star player on the bench and bring in the back up? I’m that back up player coming in at the clutch time. We are all a part of a team and the stalwarts, I have no doubt that they love the party and the country more than any one individual and they have to make an honest assessment.”

The PLP’s convention will be held at the end of this month.

So far, only Mr Sears has announced his intention to challenge Mr Christie for the party’s top post.

Last year, the prime minister said he is “not at all” concerned about Mr Sears’ bid to challenge him for the leadership.

In fact, Mr Christie said “his record” and his “value” would ensure his re-election at the party’s convention.

Last year, Mr Christie laughed off speculation that he may be ousted as leader of the PLP by the Fort Charlotte candidate because of voter frustration with the current administration.

“No, I am not concerned,” Mr Christie said previously. “What I have done for the people of The Bahamas and what I have done for the Progressive Liberal Party and its supporters, will enable them to see the value, my value as prime minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”

The convention will be the first the PLP has held since 2009, although the party’s constitution mandates that such an event be held every year.