Prime Minister Perry Christie addressing PLP supporters at last night’s event.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
DAYS after flashing an obscene hand gesture that drew widespread attention and criticism, Prime Minister Perry Christie embraced a more familiar script during a rally Thursday night, putting the spotlight on the opposition’s internal fights and divisions.
Capitalising on Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney’s surprise resignation from the Senate earlier on Thursday, Mr Christie extolled the virtues of his government and urged supporters in the Carmichael, Golden Isles and Southern Shores constituencies to vote for his party’s candidates in their area: Keith Bell, Michael Halkitis and Kenred Dorsett, respectively.
“A party that is so divided and so weak (as the Free National Movement) would wreck this country while they continue their fighting,” Mr Christie said. “Register this please: politics is about people working together to a common end and a democracy is about giving people the right to select a group they think can effectively manage the country.
“People who are able to make those decisions must decide whether or not a combination of men and women who have demonstrated this incredible facility to fight each other, to say bad things about each other, to say damning things about each other, to call each other names that go to the root of their existence, how could they possibly be seen as capable of forming a government and having continuity in governance in a country like the Bahamas?”
Mr Christie suggested that had the opposition forces been the governing party of the country, uncertainty as to who would be leader of the country would exist.
“If the FNM were the government of the Bahamas today, who would be running the country?” he asked. “Who could say today that they know who would be running the country? I’ve lost track of how many senators, how many leaders and wannabe leaders they’ve been through. You vote for one today and the next day you got somebody else.
“Now today they’ve lost another senator,” he said, referring to Mr McCartney. “He said he couldn’t handle the seeds of confusion. (Those are) not my words, not your words, (they’re his) words. All this makes me even prouder of the team that I have, a team of hardworking talented leaders like Ken Dorsett, Michael Halkitis and Keith Bell.”
Mr Christie has made it clear that promoting his party as one of stability is central to his electoral hopes.
“Everything I must say must register in your mind that you have a PLP team and the opposition, either the DNA or the FNM, cannot put together the kind of team we have, and for that matter, we have no idea whether they can put together any kind of team,” he said. “The only team that has the energy, the expertise to make success is a PLP team. We’re not like those others, one night you see them dancing together, the next night they calling one another corrupt or saying they could never work together in their lifetime. You have all the evidence you need to know that they are incredibly unreliable and that you cannot make the mistake of relying on them to be able to form a government.”
Mr McCartney was appointed to the Senate last December by Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner, after she and six other FNM MPs had FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis removed as leader of the Official Opposition, citing his “weak” leadership.
Yesterday, Mr McCartney quit his Senate post, claiming Mrs Butler-Turner has sown seeds of confusion since she was appointed leader of the Official Opposition.
Comments
John 7 years, 8 months ago
Why has Perry Chrisite become so obsessed with Hubert Minnis? Well despite the bold brazen and shameless act of gerrymandering the numbers are still not showing that the PLP has a clear victory in the next election. Even their own polls cannot confirm majority seats for them and so the PM is having panic attacks. He is less than anxious to ring the election bell. Chrisite has more running on this election than any other politician and a loss will obviously be a definite and finite end to his political career. It may even spell more problems for the Pm as more and more information comes out during the campaign about some of the PLP dealings that may not have been on top of the table. Christie fears that Minnis will not be as forgiving, about the dirt that was done under the PLP, and so he is trying his best to discredit Minnis even before the campaign officially begins. Why is the country so financially strapped, even after this government collected so much taxes? Bahamians have been sold out. Even Lying Halkitis cannot say where the money gone.
jackbnimble 7 years, 8 months ago
He's going where the Opposition is the weakest - It's leader.
DDK 7 years, 8 months ago
Why not give it a rest?
John 7 years, 8 months ago
That is a matter of opinion. Loretta Butler thought so too..Where is she now?
licks2 7 years, 8 months ago
When are you going to get behind ya leader and stop this childish tingum? The rest of the nation done see yinna LBT peoples dem were "keep taking off the wagon wheels" every time yall leader make on repair. . . ya presented us with two leaders. . .one took his licks and kept on ticking. . .the other done crashed and burned. . .taking the DNA with her. . .yet yinna still saying heen no good leader. . .Lol! Yoon making much sense ya know. . .
Franklyn 7 years, 8 months ago
Wreck a Wrecked Country, as simple as keeping Saunders Beach clean, this fool has failed.
http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2017…
proudloudandfnm 7 years, 8 months ago
Registration spiked after the PLP convention.
It did not spike after that debacle the FMM called a convention.
It did not spike after the DNA convention.
Perry needs to calm down. Now that Bran has decided he will not join a coalition the PLP have the election in the bag....
Calm down Perry you will get 5 more years to screw us....
Honestman 7 years, 8 months ago
I think you are wrong. People voted for the DNA last time round but did not realise the implications. This time voters know full well that a vote for the DNA is effectively a vote for 5 more years of PLP. I predict that voters will be more savvy this time and you will see the DNA share of the vote drop significantly. Bran has had 5 years to build a party but has failed. The clock is ticking for Perry and his career criminals.
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 8 months ago
But registration did not spike as a result of the PLP convention, registration spiked after the boundaries report came out. It just so happens that the boundaries report came out after the PLP convention, so technically they could make the cause and effect claim. If it were really true, they would have dissolved parliament already. But no, they're scrambling to get all kinds of good news prepared, BAMSI building, andros basketball court, FOIA, hurricane relief, Bahamar etc, to bolster their chances at the polls. As disorganized as the opposition has been, the PLP are less than positive about a win
licks2 7 years, 8 months ago
What country you living there fella. . .theregister spiked after the boundry report came in. . .all left for the PLP to do next is call the election. . .TIME FFOR THEIR BIG CUT BEHIND WE HAVE FER THEM. . .if you would take ya blind mind and look at things objectively you would see that fact. . .no wonder een nobody checking fer you around here. . .or anyplace in this country fer that matter. . .yoon making much sense there fella lol!
Sickened 7 years, 8 months ago
Hey Perry... I'm showing you my middle finger.
sealice 7 years, 8 months ago
And the PLP is destroying the country whilst they are elected - WTF is the difference get out no one cares about you either anymore
Emac 7 years, 8 months ago
Horrible reporting Tribune! Where was this event??? The only explanation about this rally is the caption 'Prime Minister Perry Christie addressing PLP supporters at last night’s event.'
But anyway, If this rally was supposed represent Carmichael, Golden Isles and Southern Shores, then the PM has a lot to be scared for. Because that looks like a small crowd. I would go as far as to put my heading on a chopping block to bet that the PLP will lose this election and will probably be dismantled after.
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 8 months ago
The really big money players in local politics who live in Lyford Cay, Old Fort and Albany are literally throwing their money at Crooked Christie's re-election campaign because of their fear that the Dim-witted Doc as PM would be 100 times worse for our country. They seem to fear most: the Dim-witted Doc's short-temper; his propensity to victimize; his inability to chew gum and walk at the same time; his inability to stand on his own two feet under any kind of rapid fire; his preference for the "fix" rather than a level playing field because of his many inherent limitations; his complete inability to comprehend and provide meaningful comments on any type of financial report, especially our country's annual budget; his readily apparent racist attitude towards white people (little to no tolerance for them); his failure to stay focused on anything but the "topic du jour"; his insatiable hunger for power and self-financial gain; his obvious willingness to turn a blind eye to conflicts of interest, especially where it involves financial self-gain for himself; and so on. Who would have thought the much better educated and much more affluent Bahamians living in gated communities would be supporting Crooked Christie given his track record?
Honestman 7 years, 8 months ago
This is absolute bullsh#t.
DDK 7 years, 8 months ago
Agreed.
John 7 years, 8 months ago
I think you forgot to mention the Chinese and the number boys who also have big bags of money for Christie. But with Brent Symnonette on board funds will come from the Eastern Road, Spanish Wells and rich Abaco boys. But you must remember one thing. This election will not be just about money. Even the grass root people are aware and up-to-date on the major issues facing the country today. They felt the most significant impact of VAT as it made an already difficult economic struggle even unbearable for some and they most strongly rejected the gender equality referendum. They are very much against the 'Spy Bill." and many are disgusted about the crime situation that claim the lives of many family, friends and coworkers The empty promise of jobs by the PLP and the many promises to get Bah Mar open has them hopeless. the national debt is a threat to even their grand children. Some PLP candidates cannot even visit the homes of former die-hard PLP supporters. Many will take the politician's money but vote their conscience.
licks2 7 years, 8 months ago
I guess the Rolle woman was right about you. . .you just jealous there fella. . . I can't explain your baseless ranting any other way. . .except you are one of them old guard FNM that doc een want back in the front line of the party. . .and you just plain mad at the party. . .because right up-in-now. . .yoon making much sense there fella! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!
John 7 years, 8 months ago
perry christie, keith bell bernard nottage and elliston greens lade all know one thing but yet they remain quiet: the only way to stop the murders and killings and carnage in this country is to kick the CIA out and stop them from operating here. While they come here under false pretences they are actually planting experimental 'predatory' drugs here and all over the Caribbean an in all black dominated populations in America. once persons consume (smoke) these drugs, they become predators and they cannot rest or cannot sleep until they kill the person they perceive to be their enemy. Bill clinton spoke about this and this is going on in every major Black population in the world. Kick the CIa out this country and murder will decrease to under 5 a year! ulterior motives
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 8 months ago
And the spy bill is just another shining example of Crooked Christie and Allyson Maynard-Gibson a/k/a the Evil Wicked Witch seeking to trample all over our constitutional rights by suppressing freedom of speech through intimidation and throwing our God-given right to privacy out the window. Small wonder that governments all over the world were aghast upon seeing pictures and/or video of Crooked Christie's recent vulgar middle finger gesture aimed at the almight God above. One can only imagine what the Queen must have thought when she saw Crooked Christie's display of that most unbecoming kind vulgarity. What will this deranged thug do next? Will he next unzip his pants and wave his ding-a-ling at us while attempting to pee on those of us who speak out against him?! And the fact that his cabinet ministers and all sitting MPs (no matter what their party affiliation) have not called for his resignation is appalling in and of itself and tantamount to each of them endorsing Crooked Christie's shamefully despicable lude conduct in front of the whole world.
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