The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

MARSH HARBOUR – Progressive Liberal Party’s Renardo Curry is the new MP for North Abaco after he and the PLP convincingly defeated Free National Movement candidate Greg Gomez and Bahamas Constitution Party leader Ali McIntosh in yesterday’s historic by-election.

After nearly 4,000 ballots were counted by parliamentary registration officials, Mr Curry was declared the unofficial winner after securing 2,367 of the 3,887 votes counted, with 1,513 going to the FNM and seven to BCP.

Speaking to the crowd of supporters that turned out to the Murphy Town constituency office, the successor of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham for the seat said that he feels “great” about the victory that came after five months of defeat at the May 7 general elections.

“I feel so great man. One of the things I did, even when I suffered that defeat, the Prime Minister indicated that I keep fighting.

“And I was so happy when the opportunity existed for me to run again because I love my people.

“My people know that I’m here to fight for them and tonight shows that they love me,” Mr Curry said, receiving a loud ovation from scores of supporters.

“I felt in the very beginning that our message was very strong. There was some indications that showed that if I had a second time around, we could really show our vision and clarity and I think that’s what we were able to do today.”

Mr Curry said his first reaction to knowledge of his combined 861 vote margin over FNM’s Gomez, and BCP’s McIntosh was to “thank God.”

“I prayed and I said ‘Lord if you will have me to go forward, and you would let me touch the hearts of the people with our message and our vision, and that’s what happened.”

“And you see the people came out in large numbers in support of me and I want North Abaco to know that we are here and we’re going to do our very, very best for them,” he said.

Prime Minister Christie watched as Mr Curry gave his victory remarks to the scores of supporters present at the site and those watching on live television.

Prior to Mr Curry’s arrival at the constituency office grounds, Mr Christie spoke to the press and the crowd about the victory which returned the North Abaco seat to the PLP after 35 years.

“It’s a magnificent win. It gives us, after 35 years, the North Abaco seat. We now have the opportunity to demonstrate to the people of North Abaco we’re not just coming here to make idle promises. We’re actually going to aggressively address the challenges that exist here,” he said.

The prime minister responded to the claims of the Opposition that his party engaged in threatening, intimidating and victimizing voters in the lead up to the bye-election. He called the Opposition’s point “absolute stupidity.”

“I just want to say that I’m really surprised by those that are in the leadership of the FNM who weren’t sufficiently gracious to allow this victory to be seen for what it is. To be talking about victimization, why would I want to come into a constituency and victimize people who I am going to ask in four years time to vote for the PLP?

“It’s absolute stupidity for them to make a point like that,” the prime minister said.

Mr Christie said that the Opposition should have conceded with grace, congratulate the winning candidate and indicate their hope that the government serve North Abaconians well.

Mr Curry said as the new MP for North Abaco, he will continue to listen to the people.

“I love to listen to the people to what the people have to say, talking to them, hearing their concerns and they can expect the same. I’ll continue to listen,” he said.