The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie remains the best person to lead the Progressive Liberal Party and the country, for he provides stability and continuity at a time the country needs it most, according to a number of PLP stalwart councillors and delegates yesterday.

The Tribune questioned them on Tuesday, the opening day of the party’s convention, about their party’s leadership race.

None of those interviewed by this newspaper said they would support Mr Christie’s challenger, former Attorney General Alfred Sears, QC, although at least one person said he has not yet made up his mind because he “likes both of them”.

“Perry Christie is my leader from day one, from I know myself so I can’t leave him now,” said George Rolle, a stalwart councillor from Bimini.

“I don’t have anything against (Mr Sears) but he just can’t beat Perry.”

Brenda Ferguson, a stalwart councillor from the Fox Hill constituency, expressed a similar sentiment, saying: “(Mr Christie) is still the man for the job after all these years. He knows the job. He knows the people. He’s a leader.”

Kaylor Mortimer, from Southern Shores, said Mr Christie “has been through the trenches, giving us what we think is right for the country and the party.”

Two other women, identified only by their last names, Mrs Brown and Mrs Rolle, said Mr Christie should be allowed to complete the work he’s started, such as National Health Insurance’s (NHI) implementation.

The delegates gave varying responses to Mr Sears’ decision to challenge Mr Christie.

Mr Sears should have “waited his turn,” Mrs Ferguson said.

Mrs Brown said he should have waited until the next convention to vie for leadership.

“I think he’s very intellectual, smart young man but I was hoping that he would’ve waited ’til the next convention,” Mrs Brown said.

Mrs Rolle said she was unimpressed with Mr Sears’ “boast” that he would lead the country into a new era of government reform, insisting that she is concerned about anyone who presents themselves as the change the country needs.

Stalwart councillors and delegates were also in disagreement about whether there is an anti-PLP and anti-Christie mood in the country that could sink the party in the next general election.

While some agreed that the country has a pervasive anti-PLP sentiment, they tended to suggest that the problem was with the Bahamian people.

“A lot of people are frustrated with government,” Ms Mortimer said. “You only could be frustrated when you don’t put in work. You can’t expect things if you’re not giving of yourself. We need people to get off their couches, stop making noise about what’s going wrong and work to make the country better.”

Likewise, Mrs Brown said: “I believe a lot people are upset over a lot of stuff. Some people are for themselves, not for what’s going on in the country. Once they are satisfied individually they are not concerned about the country as a whole.”

Nominations for the PLP’s executive positions will occur today. Mr Sears is the only person who has publicly announced plans to challenge Mr Christie.

The convention ends on Thursday.