Christie: Most Whites Not Supporting PLP:
By Vanessa C. Rolle -
Nassau, Bahamas:

Most white Bahamians have no interest in supporting the Progressive Liberal Party, according to former prime minister and PLP leader Perry Christie.

"The whites are able to be stronger in their resolution to support the party of their choice – which is not the PLP generally – than the blacks," said Mr. Christie, who spoke during a forum at the British Colonial Hilton on Tuesday night.

"We are democrats and so I think people in The Bahamas have the right to vote for whosoever they please."

The event, dubbed "A Conversation with the Leader", was organized by the National Progressive Institute, the policy advisory arm of the PLP.

"That is something that the PLP fought to put in place and is something that we will maintain our position on and ultimately, it is my hope that those persons who have the same kind of philosophical commitment that I have to all peoples will be seen to be the right people in politics," he added.

He said he made a special effort to meet with the expatriate, white community in Lyford Cay, the local white community and the white business community to show them the type of government that he was leading. Mr. Christie said he sought to convince them that his PLP government would be beneficial to them.

"My government was very good for them," Mr. Christie said. "They made record profits in banks; they made record profits in businesses and we have this chilling reality that no matter how good we perform, no matter how valuable to the personal profits of the family businesses in this country, when it comes to elections, they have no interest whatsoever in supporting me.

"I don’t know how you rationalize that because The Bahamas is a special place in this regard."

However, all hope is not lost in the party’s quest to gain support from the white community, he said.

Mr. Christie said that the PLP has garnered some support from whites but has made no "significant headway."

He said he is afraid that when his type of democracy does not seem to work, that the radical elements will surface, and try a different approach.

More than two months after his administration was ousted following the May 2 general election, Mr. Christie continues to cling to assertion that his party actually won the government, which is why the party is challenging three of the seats that went to the Free National Movement.

"I don’t need to look around the Caribbean for the presence of people who lost an election and stayed on. In my case, the record would reflect – the PLP has obviously petitioned the court on the basis that it did not lose the election, that in fact, the simple majority of the three seats would be in favor of the PLP," Mr. Christie said.

The former Prime Minister also noted that despite Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s call for his resignation as leader of the PLP, he is confident of his leadership.

"I’m assured right now for example, that there is no challenge to my leadership in the Progressive Liberal Party – absolutely no challenge, and that if we would try and build somebody into contesting an election against me, that person would be disappointed," Mr. Christie said.

He said that he not only commands the support of the majority of Bahamians in the PLP, but also the majority in the entire country.

19 July 2007