By PAUL G TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net:
THE Progressive Liberal Party is weighing its options as to whether it will put up a candidate in the Elizabeth by-election, sources within the party have confirmed to The Tribune.
Currently the party is faced with a dilemma because the FNM has essentially taken a lead in the area having had representatives from its party on the ground for the past three weeks.
As for campaigning, the PLP is concerned that it has to find at least half a million dollars to put up a formidable challenge to the FNM's machinery in the area.
According to sources within the PLP, the party has containers that are still filled with PLP T-shirts and other election paraphernalia, but the actual funding of a by-election campaign will be difficult to find at such short notice.
Additionally, if these monies could be found, the party is faced with the reality that even if it were to win the by-election it would not change the balance of power in the House of Assembly as the PLP would still be in Opposition. In effect it would have essentially "wasted" $500,000 that could be used for the 2012 general elections.
While all of these issues are reportedly being discussed at the highest levels within the party, there is also a growing concern amongst some PLP Members of Parliament about what the perception would be if the party were not to run a candidate in the area.
"We need to have a representative in the area, anybody, so we can show the people that we care about them, and that we want to represent them in the House of Assembly. Now how do we do this? We could run a Ryan Pinder or Craig Butler in there, but elections cost money, and when you are up against the FNM and all of its machinery it is very difficult to win this one seat. So what do you do?" the source asked.
Today the PLP's former Member of Parliament Malcolm Adderley is expected to resign from his seat in the House of Assembly, causing the first by-election in at least a decade. In his departing speech, Mr Adderley is expected to take aim at his former party leader, Perry Christie. It is not known at this time what Mr Christie's response will be, but sources close to the leader claim that Mr Christie is "more than ready" to answer Mr Adderley "blow-for-blow."
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