By Candia Dames ~ Guardian News Editor ~ candia@nasguard.com:
Opposition Leader Perry Christie has confirmed that while he plans to lead his party into the next general election and fully expects to become prime minister again, it is his intention to step aside before the end of another five-year term.
Asked specifically about this, Christie told The Nassau Guardian, "Prime ministers should not say that, people who want to be prime ministers should not put a lame duck provision in their leadership, but I think when one looks mathematically at politics and you look at the ages of people, you look at the work they are doing to bring people into the party, you'd be able to read the tea leaves and to know that my work is to strengthen the Progressive Liberal Party."
If the next general election is called in early 2012, Christie would be 68 years old. While he confirmed that he does not intend to serve another five-year term, he did not specify when he intends to retire.
Christie said he is working aggressively to prepare the party for new, younger leadership.
He explained that this is why he is involved in attracting new faces to the PLP.
Christie said he believes he is the best person to lead the party into the elections, and he noted that this was certified during the party's November convention when he was reelected by an overwhelming majority of delegates.
The PLP leader also said the recent Elizabeth by-election defeat was a clear indication to him that more Bahamians are turning away from the Free National Movement and to the Progressive Liberal Party.
"Given what we had to face in the Elizabeth election, an experienced prime minister who decided to use the entire central government, all his arsenal in that by-election in terms of infrastructure improvements that would have pleased people to no end, the clearance of properties that would have pleased people to no end... notwithstanding that we were able to hold back the tide and win," he said.
"I think that demonstrates very clearly that there is a swing in this country, most certainly up to this point. That's what it demonstrates. I think the people wanted to make a statement and they did and they're not satisfied (with the current administration). This has happened in The Bahamas now and people are used to that."
Christie added, "I was sailing along at the end of 2006 with the economy booming, no one could have persuaded me to believe that I could possibly lose the 2007 election, but you know we have to come to terms with one reality, and that is the people choose and I think that the people of Elizabeth spoke well.
"And I don't pay any attention to a claim that we reduced the majority from 40-plus votes. To me, this is a magnificent victory for Ryan Pinder and the Progressive Liberal Party. It is good for the democracy of The Bahamas that we were able to hold that seat because it rejected the arrogance that happens with governments."
The PLP has already started naming candidates for the next general election. The naming of the first four candidates has come more than two years before the election must be called.
In 2007, PLP candidates were formally announced a few weeks before the general election.
Asked whether he regrets that late announcement, Christie told The Guardian, "There's no question about that. Looking back, hindsight is a wonderful thing, but you have to learn from mistakes.
"And I regret all sort of things, not just the time it took us to get going with the campaign, but also that there were some mistakes that I personally made in terms of accepting situations from colleagues and situations from members of Parliament that I ought to perhaps have been much more decisive in dealing with.
"Now, I've owned up to that, and I wanted to own up to that, because it is a series of mistakes that were made. And it is important that I promise people that I will not make them again."
While Christie has confirmed his intention not to stay on for another full five-year term should the PLP win the next general election, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has not yet announced whether he plans to lead his party into the election.
He has said, however, that he plans to make his intention known at the end of 2010.
March 29, 2010
thenassauguardian
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
