The Tribune

BY THIS evening the new MP for North Abaco will have been elected. All the noise, fuss and bother of a bye-election will be over. In Coopers Town last night both sides were predicting victory, while here in Nassau many were wondering why so much manpower was being flown in and so much money spent on this small area when the nation’s slowing economy needs urgent attention.

One more seat in the House of Assembly is neither here nor there for the PLP, which with its 29 seats to the FNM’s nine already has more than the three-quarters majority needed in the House to change the Constitution without the presence of the Opposition. This is a most undesirable position for any country to be in and the high-handed manner in which the PLP leadership is now conducting itself in this bye-election, does not bode well for the future.

Last night an Abaconian said that if the people were allowed to go to the polls and exercise a free vote, the FNM would certainly carry the seat. However, he said, three extra Dash-8s had been put on the route, and hundreds of persons not connected with the island had been flown in. “Every notable PLP is here,” he said. He also claimed that several troublemakers were seen on the island and that residents were claiming that some had been brought in from the US. This report, making the rounds last night, could not be confirmed.

“Money is flying high down here,” said another Abaconian, “they even approached some FNM generals and offered them money!”

On Friday we had a call from a gentleman in Green Turtle Cay, who described a scene that he said he had “never seen before in Green Turtle.”

Although a Defence Force boat is stationed in Abaco waters, it is most unusual, he said, to see a Defence Force boat in the Treasure Cay area. However, last Wednesday at about lunchtime a Defence Force boat arrived at Green Turtle Cay. At about 2:55 pm a water taxi also arrived at the dock and Prime Minister Christie stepped off.

Golf carts were lined up on the dock. The settlement’s chief of police in a golf cart, then led a procession of golf carts around the settlement —lights flashing, flags flying, supporters in yellow shirts and yellow hats — as they paraded the Prime Minister around the settlement.

After a couple of hours the Defence Force boat left and Mr Christie in his water taxi returned to the mainland around 6pm.

On Thursday night, said our informant, the FNM held a rally in Murphy Town, South Abaco, while the PLP held one in Coopers Town, North Abaco. “I decided to watch the PLP rally on the TV.”

“My wife wanted to know why I would do something like that. I said I had never seen Christie around these parts before and I wanted to see this for myself. It was indeed a strange sight.

“He talked a bunch of garbage – he had some ideas, but that’s nothing ’cause there’s no action.”

We asked if we could attribute these quotes to him. “Oh, no,” he was quick to reply, “not with what is happening around here. You must understand,” he said, “this is a small settlement and the PLP have brought a lot of nastiness in — my family, especially my wife is under so much pressure. I don’t care about myself, but I have to think about them. I have just never seen such a spectacle in this small settlement in all of my life.

“Nor have I seen anything like Christie. Can you believe it on polling day up at the Ingraham Park, Mr Christie steps out of the van and fixes his arms out waiting for the man to put his coat on!

“Mr Ingraham is not like that, to hang out with him is like hanging out with our buddies. He refuses to let anyone serve him — he’s normal, just one of the boys.

“But this other group, man I’ve just seen nothing like it — they’re something else!”

In an interview with The Tribune late yesterday, PLP candidate Renardo Curry claimed that he did not like dirty campaigning and mud-slinging. If he is to be believed then he should have urged his New Providence handlers to remain in Nassau. If what has been reported to us — much of it not printed — is true then every rule of decency has been broken in this election. Like it or not, Mr Curry can’t at this late stage wash his hands like Pilate and walk away. He must also shoulder his responsibility for what has been a below-the-belt campaign.

If nothing else, we have learned two things about Mr Christie. Democracy obviously has a different meaning for him than it has for most of us. He has made it clear that he is a PLP prime minister, not a prime minister for all Bahamians. Those not in his tent – FNM, DNA or Independent — will have to grovel for an audience, and then it might be fruitless.

He has made it clear that after winning the general election, the taking of North Abaco will be “icing on the cake” — he will prove to himself that at last he can beat his brilliant rival, his former law partner Hubert Ingraham — that at last Perry Gladstone Christie is a strong leader.

He will prove all the naysayers wrong — especially that damaging Greenberg Quinlan Rosner report, commissioned by the PLP to find out why the party lost the 2007 election. The report found that one of the reasons for the loss was that although Mr Christie was “personally popular” he was seen as a weak leader.

His “icing on the cake” speech in Abaco reveals much about Mr Christie. It unmasks a leader with an inferiority complex, who needs much personal reassurance.

Win or lose this bye-election, Mr Christie will never be a Hubert Ingraham. However, he should be satisfied with being himself and not let power go to his head.