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Taxi driver's son who became Prime Minister

Prime Minister Perry Christie shakes hands with Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes as his wife, Bernadette, looks on.

Prime Minister Perry Christie shakes hands with Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes as his wife, Bernadette, looks on.

PLP LEADER Perry Gladstone Christie was born in Nassau on August 21, 1943, to Gladstone L Christie, a taxi driver, and Naomi Christie nee Allen, a nurse.

He grew up and was raised in the area of New Providence known as The Valley. He attended the Government High School but was later expelled. He went on to read law at the University of London.

Mr Christie was sworn in as the third Prime Minister of an independent Bahamas on May 03, 2002, following his Progressive Liberal Party's triumph over the Free National Movement on May 02, 2002.

Official returns gave the former opposition leader's party 29 of the 40 seats in the House of Assembly.

The FNM, which had governed the Bahamas for nearly a decade under Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, won six seats.

Mr Christie was named a senator by Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling in November, 1974. He served in that capacity until June, 1977.

He was then appointed chairman of the Gaming Board and nominated by the PLP to run in Centreville in the 1977 general election.

Mr Christie was elected and shortly after appointed Minister of Health and National Insurance.

During the June, 1982, general election, he was re-elected in Centreville, and once again appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Tourism.

In 1984, he was dismissed from the Cabinet along with former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham after speaking out against the alleged corruption within the Pindling regime.

During the 1987 general election, both men ran as independents.

Mr Christie retained his seat in the Centreville constituency. Three years later - in March, 1990 - he returned to the Progressive Liberal Party, and was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Trade and Industry.

In January, 1993, following the PLP's defeat in the August, 1992, general election, Mr Christie was elected co-deputy leader with responsibility for party activities outside parliament.

Victorious in the newly created Farm Road constituency, he was appointed leader of the opposition by the Governor-General on April 07, 1997.

He led the PLP to victory in the 2002 general election but was defeated by the FNM, led by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, in 2007.

Comments

John 11 years, 11 months ago

Seems like Perry Christie has hit the ground running this time. He should remain focused and keep his team on short leashes; no Nicoles, no flay-aways, and every penny utilsed efficiently and properly accounted for.

The PM has a good foundation, left by the FNM, to build on and and move this country forward this is in favor of all Bahamians. There will be no Hubert Ingraham to come back and bail the country out in 5 years as he will be in his 70's if he is still around, And at the end of his term Mr. Christie should be able to say like the former PM said, "I know I did my best !' And he should have results to prove it!

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