The Tribune

By TANEKA THOMPSON

Tribune News Editor

tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie revealed last night that “four or five days” before the May 10 general election, his Cabinet approved agreements with a company that would make electricity “more affordable” and “reliable” while enabling the government to earn significant revenue.

Mr Christie’s remarks came a week after Tribune Business revealed that the Christie administration had quietly been soliciting bids to provide Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) with improved generation capacity, reportedly without the knowledge of either the company itself or its manager, PowerSecure.

Mr Christie referred to the matter as he gave a lengthy resignation speech at a National General Council meeting at PLP headquarters last night.

He said it was up to the new government to review the proposals and decide if it wanted to go forward with it. He also assigned former Minister of Works Philip “Brave” Davis and former Minister of the Environment Kenred Dorsett the job of explaining the details of the proposals to the public.

“I want Brave Davis and Ken Dorsett to speak (to the fact that) in the last remaining weeks of my government we made an incredible breakthrough in the provision of electricity and the agreements were approved by Cabinet like four or five days before the election,” Mr Christie told PLP supporters packed into the Sir Lynden Pindling Centre.

“It was incredible insofar as it was the use of natural gas, that it would make electricity much more affordable, more reliable. A part of it was to pay off the $700m rate reduction bond. A company that was going to broaden its involvement in establishing in Freeport and New Providence facilities that would enable the government to earn substantial revenues from. As (I) indicated to Brave Davis today, he has a responsibility to speak to it because the country will benefit from it substantially. It is an extraordinary set of agreements and the country should know who did it as efforts will be made now by our successors to in fact review the agreements and make a decision as to whether or not they would proceed with it.”

Tribune Business reported last week that several energy industry groups had been invited to participate in “a very weird request for proposal (RFP)” initiated by the Christie administration.

It was previously reported that this newspaper was told that the process, run directly out of Mr Christie’s office, set different terms and bid criteria for the various energy groups, with timelines similar to the tight deadlines involved in the New Providence landfill tender.

Mr Christie did not name the company involved, however Tribune Business previously reported that the former administration’s preferred bidder was New Fortress Energy, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier with assets and interests in both Florida and Jamaica.

On May 8, Bahamas Information Services (BIS) released a two paragraph statement, attributed to Mr Christie, which suggested the process had reached the stage of negotiations with preferred bidders.

“The government has been giving consideration to the short and long-term electricity demands throughout the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, with a view to improving both efficiency in the supply of electricity and lowering the cost of electricity to the public,” the statement, released the day this newspaper broke the story on the electricity negotiations, noted.

“In that regard, a committee comprised of members from both the public and private sectors has carried out a meticulous review of various proposals received by the government and has made its recommendations.

“Discussions with preferred proponents and relevant stakeholders are ongoing. This matter is of great economic importance and benefit to the public, and my government expects to complete consideration of this matter as soon as possible,” the statement continued.

Last Monday, then Free National Movement Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest said the FNM was very worried about the reports.

“There’s something not clean in the smell here,” Mr Turnquest said last week. “BPL doesn’t know about this until late, and nobody else seemed to know it was in the works.

“It’s a last-minute deal that raises all kinds of suspicions as to the motive, who’s behind it and who’s going to benefit from it. These guys are incredible; this is just over the top.”

On May 10, the PLP was wiped out of office, receiving only four seats while the FNM won 35. As part of the humiliating defeat, Mr Christie became the first Bahamian prime minister to lose his seat in an election.

Mr Christie has represented Centreville since 1977 and won the constituency in eight consecutive elections. Last night he said he accepted responsibility for his party’s loss and resigned from the party with immediate effect.

Mr Davis has been chosen as the PLP’s new leader.