Saturday, January 9, 2010

Malcolm Adderley and Kenyatta Gibson accused of 'Christie betrayal'

tribune242:


PLP chairman Bradley Roberts has accused Malcolm Adderley and Kenyatta Gibson of plotting an unsuccessful attempt to try to "destabilise" the opposition party and diminish its leader.

In a speech containing sexual references given at a rally in the Elizabeth constituency on Thursday night, Mr Roberts denied that the actions of either men have left the PLP weaker.

Mr Gibson and Mr Adderley quit the PLP in the last year and a half, citing a lack of support for party leader Perry Christie.

Alleging that the two betrayed "our kind-hearted leader" after he personally "secured their shaky political futures" Mr Roberts said "time has revealed the true nature of politicians like Malcolm Adderley and Kenyatta Gibson."

He encouraged those gathered at the rally to ensure that they are not "bought" by the FNM but to vote PLP in the upcoming by-election in Elizabeth, where Mr Adderley resigned as MP on Wednesday.

Mr Roberts belittled the significance of 64-year-old Mr Adderley's resignation from the PLP and from politics.

He suggested that Mr Adderley, who is rumoured to be set to take up a judicial appointment at the recommendation of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, will find himself with few options within "three years" now that he has left the PLP.

The same sentiment was expressed with respect to Mr Gibson, the MP for Kennedy who quit the PLP to serve as an independent before joining the FNM months later -- like Mr Adderley, dropping his political bombshell days before the forty-third anniversary of Majority rule.

The chairman defended the PLP's reaction in the wake of weeks of reports that Mr Adderley was set to leave the party, stating that the party should not be "hated on" because "we don't just wake up one morning and fire people and destroy people. That is Hubert Ingraham's style."

He condemned the governance of the FNM administration since 2007, blaming the "rudderless" government for "taking the country backward."

"They never take responsibility for anything, blaming this sorry state of affairs on a global recession," Mr Roberts said.

He accused the media of failing to do its job in holding the government to account and being too interested in "nit-picking over foolishness" in the PLP.

"Now to make this same indictment on the leadership of the Progressive Liberal Party is ludicrous. No one is asleep at any wheel in the PLP. If anyone is sleeping in this country it is members of the fourth estate and other commentators who refuse to compare and contrast the performance of this FNM Government to that of the immediate past PLP-Christie administration," Mr Roberts stated.

Called for comment on Mr Robert's accusations yesterday, Mr Gibson said he "would not condescend" to respond, while Mr Adderley did not return phone calls on the matter.

January 09, 2010

tribune242