The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net 

INTERIM Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said he intends to run for the top post of the opposition party whenever it decides to hold a convention, while also suggesting that he will not discourage anyone who may want to contest the position.

However, the Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP said he could not comment on when the party plans to hold this political event, as this is dependent on the PLP “resolving election issues.”

While he would not go into detail regarding what these issues were, former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson said she believed that the PLP’s stunning loss on May 10 was due to a combination of factors.

These, according to the former Cabinet minister, include mistakes while the PLP governed the country and the party’s message failing to resonate with voters, especially young Bahamians.

“First of all we have to resolve our election issues. Once that is resolved we’ll focus on having a convention. But it will be a decision of the political caucus,” Mr Davis said during a reception to celebrate the swearing-in of four Official Opposition senators at Government House on Tuesday afternoon.

“Again I don’t want to preempt the thinking or the advice I may get from political colleagues, so I will not venture to predict when it will be at this time.”

He continued: “I will run for leader and I don’t discourage ambition. Anyone who wishes, the post will be open once the convention is called and anyone who wishes to vie for the post will have that right.”

The PLP held its last convention on January 24-26. At the close of the three-day event, former Prime Minister Perry Christie won with 1,264 votes to 169 for Alfred Sears in a leadership race.

Mr Christie ultimately led the party into the 2017 general election, in which the party suffered its most devastating defeat in history.

The Free National Movement emerged victorious, securing 35 of 39 seats in the House of Assembly. It was also the first time a sitting prime minister lost his constituency.

When asked what contributed to the PLP’s loss, Mrs Maynard-Gibson said: “A combination. Obviously I don’t think there is any simple answer to any of these things. I think it is important in our democracy to respect the will of the people. The people have said that they wished for a change and they now have a change.

“On May 11 we all had to get out and work in the Bahamas and we’re all very proud of our country and the fact that we have a stable democracy that is longer standing than the United States of America is something that we all need to be very, very proud of.

“I can assure you that what our leader, the former deputy prime minister, said is exactly what the PLP will be doing and that is taking our responsibility very seriously. They (the government) will be taking their responsibility seriously to stand for good governance in our country for you,” she said.

Mrs Maynard-Gibson said she also believed the stunning defeat at the polls had a lot to do with the party’s communication strategy.

Mr Christie resigned as leader of the PLP during an emotional meeting at the party’s headquarters on Farrington Road five days after he led his party to a defeat.

It came twenty years after he took the helm of the PLP from the late Sir Lynden Pindling.

Mr Davis was immediately elevated to interim party leader, as mandated in the PLP’s constitution.