The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis has said the brash tone of Prime Minister Perry Christie’s now infamous “bitch and complain” tirade last Sunday demonstrates that the veteran politician needs to reconsider his bid for re-election.

The Killarney MP, in a critique of Mr Christie’s indication that at times he is put off by his Cabinet colleagues’ attitudes, said his comments are a reflection of deeper internal problems within the governing party.

Dr Minnis said while Mr Christie may be surprised by the attitudes of some of those in his Cabinet, the reality of life in The Bahamas has led many citizens to resort to “complaining”.

He urged Mr Christie to do the honourable thing and leave politics for good following this term.

“Sometimes I wonder (about) many things what Christie says, but that is their internal problems, I don’t get into internal problems,” Dr Minnis said.

“Bahamians are complaining everyday, so if those internal and next to him are complaining, if he don’t want to hear anymore noise, all he has to do is (present the) boundaries report, call an election and go into the twilight of his years, relax, retire and drink his coffee and tea.”

In a speech in which he detailed his eagerness to serve another term, Mr Christie said his government had invested too much energy, creativity and introduced new policy innovations to modernise the country for them to “squander” the opportunity to win the next general election and go on to serve the best interest of the people.

He went on to add: “Many times when some of my colleagues begin to bitch and complain, I ask them, I say suppose you were me?”

Mr Christie further noted the vicious criticism he has faced during this current term, stating: “They curse me everyday. And when they get tired of cursing me, they curse my wife and my daughter; my children. Listen, they even cursed Adam (Mr Christie’s autistic son) and Adam can’t even hurt a fly.

“But this is what it is all about, you have a leader with big shoulders. One who understands governance in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and one who wears his integrity right out in the open.

“This is now the time,” Mr Christie said on Sunday before a crowd of jubilant PLP supporters.

Mr Christie, 73, was last night ratified for the Centreville constituency along with several other long-serving PLP parliamentarians. He has represented the area for more than 40 years.

He will be challenged for the PLP’s leadership post when the party holds its first convention since 2009 next week.