The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis gave an impromptu defence of his relationship with the country’s former leader, Hubert Ingraham, Friday night at a party celebrating the 90th birthday of Sir Arthur Foulkes.

He was egged on by his predecessor in office Perry Christie who, in a lighthearted moment, spoke of the relationship the country’s former and current prime ministers share.

“I thought it was difficult when Minnis wouldn’t talk to me,” Mr Christie said midway during his toast to Sir Arthur at an event at the Balmoral Club. “But when you don’t talk to Hubert then I know…”

“I don’t have to hide the fact that Minnis and I have a better relationship than him and Hubert.”

“Notwithstanding the fact that (Dr Minnis) led to my defeat, I went to a church service and he and I sat together; he didn’t speak to me but I spoke well on him, so you owe me.

“…Now that I’ve taken advantage of the occasion to ensure that as a result of what I’ve said the two Huberts will make up on (Sir Arthur’s) 90th birthday, our democracy will be advanced by that much.”

Mr Christie’s jokes––steeped in an awkward truth, people familiar with the three men say––stirred the audience.

Near the end of his 11-minute reflection on Sir Arthur, Mr Ingraham referred to it.

“Perry, I shall not take your bait,” the former Free National Movement leader said. “I will talk to you at the bar at Baha Mar later tonight.”

Dr Minnis also addressed the comments.

“Perry, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from you, you always said, ‘the man who speaks last has the greater advantage,’” Dr Minnis said. “So let me clear the record now. Ingraham and I have always been friends; we’ve always loved each other and that won’t change.

“Throughout our years we’ve always learned to agree to disagree. Our relationship is so tight that we even share the same name Hubert Alexander. And then I want to remind you that Hubert, myself, Delores and my wife Pat went on a cruise, Delores and Pat went to their rooms and Hubert and I went to a casino. There were two young ladies who came to rap to us and very interestingly, the one who was rapping to Hubert, her name was Delores and the one who was rapping to me, her name was Pat. That was extremely coincidental.

“You would remember that Hubert, when we got to the room, we told both Delores and Pat and they laughed and they said if they were fools they could have kept both of you,” the prime minister said.

Dr Minnis served as minister of health in Mr Ingraham’s Cabinet between 2007 and 2012 before succeeding him as leader of the FNM.

Mr Christie and Mr Ingraham, former law partners turned political rivals, remain very close and communicate frequently, The Tribune understands.