By SANCHESKA DORSETT
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie joked on Saturday that things were going so good that “God can’t stop him now” after the Progressive Liberal Party’s mass rally in Exuma was plagued with power outages, rain and microphone issues.
“We are going to in this next term, turn Exuma into a fine example of what should happen,” he said, as his microphone cut out before scores of supporters at a rally on Saturday night.
“Listen, it going so good, God can’t stop me now,” he continued, after tapping the microphone, to cheers and laughter.
However, away from the rally, Mr Christie’s “blasphemous” comment brought scorn, with Branville McCartney saying last night the Prime Minister’s remarks were “indicative of the lack of deference which he and other members of his government give to the Almighty” in a nation founded on Christian principles. “The country has watched, many of us in utter disbelief, as the Prime Minister’s arrogance, and outright disdain for all things spiritual has ballooned to match the incompetence of his administration,” he said, making reference to Mr Christie’s middle finger gesture to a PLP rally last month.
In Exuma, Mr Christie also praised PLP candidates who were on the stage with him, including Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald and Environmental Minister Kenred Dorsett, for “great men” a part of a “great team”.
He also said no one in the Free National Movement (FNM) is as equipped or as talented at the PLP’s team.
However, Mr Christie did not directly address the Baha Mar email controversy surrounding Mr Fitzgerald, but said the “FNM is doing all sorts of nasty things lately to make us look bad,” adding that he has on the “full armour of God”.
The nation’s leader has been silent and several times refused questions on whether he will fire Mr Fitzgerald or demand his resignation. The Marathon candidate admitted last week that he sought contracts from Baha Mar for his family’s business, after The Tribune published an email exchange between him and Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian.
“One of the great challenges of any political organisation is to produce a great team, I want you to look on this stage at the candidates standing here,” Mr Christie said.
“I say this without fear of contradiction, look at them, this is the best team. The people of the Bahamas will have to decide who has the best team. I am telling you these things because one man cannot govern by himself, the principle of life is always the power of one is not as great as the power of two or three. Meaning all of us must be able to marry the talents we have, sitting around a table we call the Cabinet, sitting in a Parliament and being able to bring our collective wisdom and our training on policies that will protect and secure the future of the Bahamas.
“With (Dr Hubert) Minnis, the reason they didn’t put up no pictures is because they was too shame to put the posters up. Let me tell you this, without demeaning any of their candidates, taking everyone who has the privilege to run for the FNM or the DNA or as an independent candidate, I am satisfied that I have the most equipped, the most talented team that has been elected in the history of the Bahamas. Now when we take these new ones coming in it only makes us stronger.”
Mr Christie also said he has on the full armour of God and he will be protected against the FNM’s attacks.
“The FNM is becoming more and more desperate and they will continue to throw up all sorts of dirty and nasty things about us,” Mr Christie said.
“They are going to have contradictions ... There are so many people who need jobs, there are people who go to bed hungry in this country. There are children who go to school who have their learning impaired because they are not being treated properly. There is a lot of work to do. So I speak about our team, being mature and ready for governance, every obstacle that we faced, we had the courage to overcome. We never backed off the big challenges and we are moving ahead.”
• Watch Perry Christie’s ‘God” comment on tribune242.com
Comments
birdiestrachan 6 years, 12 months ago
A slip of the tongue. Mr Christie knows that God and God alone is in charge. But they will milk it, Election time. It will soon be over.
Sickened 6 years, 12 months ago
Your last sentence at least is correct! I applaud you for that.
realfreethinker 6 years, 12 months ago
More like slip of the brain. birdie your boy is losing it daily,it's too late for him now
sealice 6 years, 12 months ago
Where's the BBC when the Emperor starts to Blaspheme? Come on you bloody homophobe wimps??? He just said that God can't stop him?????
alfalfa 6 years, 12 months ago
Ranting and raving of a tired old politician, wannabe dictator. One must question his sanity. In his own mind, he is larger than life, larger than God. And people just eat this s--t up. Maybe there are enough of our populice who are tired of his grandstanding, and his never ending thirst for power, as well as the rampant corruption evident throughout the PLP, to do the right thing on Election Day. If not, we will reap what we sow.
TalRussell 6 years, 12 months ago
Comrade The Right Honourable Prime Minister rungs the doorbell at Minnis's residence. Minnis opens the door - the PM asks, "You wouldn't happen to have a extra fish, would you?"
ohdrap4 6 years, 12 months ago
my grammy cannot afford her pressure medication.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 12 months ago
The English language can be quite ambiguous .......... He could have said this innocently (meaning, that God would not interfere in his plans to continue his campaign antics) ...... Try not to add insult to injury ......... Perry deserves a pass on this statement ...... He is 74 and facing a disastrous re-election campaign (courtesy of his rogue Cabinet)
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 12 months ago
Yeah, it's being taken out of context. After watching the video it's clear Christie jokingly interpreted the microphone malfunction as an act of God. In that vein he said what should be interpreted as, "it's going really good, please God let me finish", or something like that. I for one am encouraged that he did NOT intend what would have been considered blasphemy. Because from my bible, it een only the leader who would have been punished.
ashley14 6 years, 12 months ago
That scares me! Do you remember the line in the Titanic, "Even God can't sink this ship," on it's maiden voyage she sunk with some of the richest powerful people at that time. The loss of life was enormous. Their confidence and arrogance took a lot of lives. I don't think God is a evil in anyway, but sometimes he may have to humble some people to remind them where they are on the spectrum. I would ask God to help me in this election, and ask him to lead me to make decisions to help the Bahamian people as they deserve. All of our politician should kneel down regularly and pray for guidance in their faith and leadership.
ohdrap4 6 years, 12 months ago
If only the titanic had been carrying 39 politicians on the way to a convention!!!!!
sheeprunner12 6 years, 12 months ago
BOL .................. Perry is complaining about "fake news" while at a function at ZNS ........... This is how ridiculous this election season is becoming!!!!!!!!
I am sure the good Bishop Thompson can intercede to God for Perry!!!!!!
ashley14 6 years, 12 months ago
lol
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 12 months ago
He didn't mean it in a blasphemous way, it's clearer when you watch the video
TalRussell 6 years, 12 months ago
Comrades! Cut the PM some slack. God gives the podium to a lot of Preacherman's, who shouldn't be standing within 10 feet behind a church podium - plus the PM, was not at some Church's podium.
Amen!
banker 6 years, 12 months ago
Which is proof that either good enjoys the show, has a sense of humour, or doesn't exist. Based on previous actions (expulsion from the Garden of Eden, turning Lot's wife into a pillar of Morton's Finest, promoting Noah to captain of a zoo cruise, etc) the first two are not true. So the last one must be true. The Bahamas would be a lot better place if we had a Bible-burning and had lessons in science, math, logic and literacy.
(This oughta be good for another couple-day suspension by the Tribune staff because someone's sensibilities were offended.)
ohdrap4 6 years, 12 months ago
you deserve some rest, banker.
banker 6 years, 12 months ago
Most think so, but the devil's work is never done. No rest for the wicked. I'll let you in on a secret. It is based on logic & syllogism and rational thinking.
If you go to hell, you een gern burn. The devil is the king of hell, and if you are doing his work, why would he punish you? You get rewarded by him. The rewards of the devil are pretty pleasurable, from what I can tell of partaking of them on earth.
That eternal fire and brimstone and burning story violates the second law of thermodynamics. You need energy and fuel to burn forever and even with a fusion furnace, you still need eternal mass or energy to keep the fires burning. And according to Boyle's Law, if you keep something burning with an eternal supply of fuel, the volume of Hell will increase over time until the whole thing blows, contracts and cools rapidly. At that point Hell will freeze over and it won't be any different than living in Canada. THINK PEOPLE.
tell_it_like_it_is 6 years, 12 months ago
Wow, banker that is a bit much.
The truth will always be revealed in due time.
alfalfa 6 years, 12 months ago
Tal, as far as I know, Minnis has never said God can't stop him. This alone sets him apart from Christie, who is greater than God (his own words). Believe what you will or what pleases you.
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 12 months ago
He didn't mean it like that...I think the REAL news is the way he looked at the mic when it malfunctioned..ROTFL, it looked like he was some caveman experiencing an electrical device for the first time lol. Good for him that he recovered so well though
viewersmatters 6 years, 12 months ago
it really doesn't matter how he meant it, the main thing as a man you can not at no given time challenge the Father point blank! when a man thinks that he is mightier than the Father this word of selection would come out his mouth, all other context could had been use in a joking way but to challenge the Father like this is very scary coming from a leader who well knows the country he suppose to serve is of Christian morals. PM said its going so good God can't stop him and that is just what he mean.
viewersmatters 6 years, 12 months ago
it really doesn't matter how he meant it, the main thing as a man you can not at no given time challenge the Father point blank! when a man thinks that he is mightier than the Father this word of selection would come out his mouth, all other context could had been use in a joking way but to challenge the Father like this is very scary coming from a leader who well knows the country he suppose to serve is of Christian morals. PM said its going so good God can't stop him and that is just what he mean.
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 12 months ago
But it does matter how he meant it. He didn't challenge anyone, in fact he showed fear of God that he "could" stop him if he wanted to. I'm not going to tar and feather him because if I said something that was taken out of context I'd want others to acknowledge my intent. Judge not and do unto others etc, is in your bible too right?
I hope Dr Minnis takes the high road as a real leader would and encourages his people to drop this very serious accusation
alfalfa 6 years, 12 months ago
This is not the first time the PM made a reference to God. If I recall he once said "God has to come through me". Do not forget his recent "flip of his finger", and obscenities at a public rally. No matter how you cut it, he is being disrespectful, and one has to wonder if he is stable. Minnis has no responsibility to tell the people how to react to these actions, as, even though he has not lowered himself to such standards, the PM would not do the same for him. As the people elected Mr. Christie, they are entitled to form their own opinions about his actions. He likes to use the term "reap what you sow". It is now harvesting time.
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 12 months ago
Imagine if everyone treated you with this impossible standard you're judging Mr Christie on. According to you, he can never be right from now till his death all because he committed previous errors you judge as unforgivable. Jesus forgave the thief on the cross, so In my bible you've got it wrong.
alfalfa 6 years, 12 months ago
I am not the judge and the jury, the people are. They will decide how to take his jokes and obscenities. I am however, just as you are, allowed to form my interpretation of any situation in my country. You are judging me, so how is that different.
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 12 months ago
I simply asked you to put yourself in his shoes and determine how you would want to be treated. The statement "you've got it wrong" is fact, you're refusing to allow him a "right" because he was wrong fifty times before...that's not judging. But yes, you do have a right to be wrong
The people made up their mind long before this incident. The vote on Election Day is a referendum on five years of management under the PLP, not one speech in Exuma
ashley14 6 years, 12 months ago
Maybe it was a bad choice of words to be objective. If he had said, With God at my side I can't be stopped now. Or maybe, The Good Lord Willing I can't be stopped now. You get where I'm going. It just my opinion.
MassExodus 6 years, 12 months ago
God can't stop him now! . He is giving free electricity away; Unheard of a capitalistic society. The Bahamas must now be a socialist state. . Apparently the rules and laws of campaigning and holding public office representing the country clearly do not apply to him or his government ministry. They do as they please, accepting donations, and soliciting illegal contracts, with no repercussions. . This is an extremely dangerous precedent that has been set by this government. If they are not tried for their crimes against this country, it sends a message that top public posts held by PM, Deputy PM, Minister of Labour, Minister of Education are merely a post to covertly seek personal financial gain, at any expense. . If any Bahamian pledges a vote for the PLP they are voting for the most corrupt, egotistical, self-gaining, group of mobsters I have seen in my lifetime. . They have, in a single term, all but completely ruined the Bahamas.
OMG 6 years, 12 months ago
If there is a God then surely he must take action against these crooks. Yes people go to bed hungry, without electricity and yet we have Fitzgerald trying to use his position to gain the lions share of Bahaimar business and another getting $5000 a month paid into his US bank account.What else will we find out ?
alfalfa 6 years, 12 months ago
Your saying "You got it wrong" is your opinion and not a fact. You are judging me based on my view on something, because it differs from yours. What makes you more right than I? Yes the people will judge the party on five years of their performance, or lack thereof, but they could not prejudge the PM on statements made until they were made. But thank you for illuminating how much superior your right to speak is to mine.
banker 6 years, 12 months ago
Looking at the pic of Crisco Butt, there are two thoughts running through my mind. The first is that Crisco Butt looks like he gats a moutful of peas 'n rice that is too hot. Secondly, I can't believe Chester joined the PLP. I used to think that he was a smart, good man.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 12 months ago
I agree .......... but when you think that Fitzie, Shame and others who came on board the PLP gravy train in the past decade ...... that is mighty tempting for Cooper and the generation X, Y and Z PLP spawn ...... That is why Hubert Minnis and the FNM government must "send them to jail" after May 10, 2017
Emilio26 2 years, 4 months ago
Now Chester Cooper is now the official Deputy Prime Minister of The Bahamas 😁
tell_it_like_it_is 6 years, 12 months ago
Though I do prefer Hon. Hubert Minnis over Hon. Christie, I must say in the video it does seem more like he's saying 'please God ya can't stop me now' cause it going so good. More like a plea than blasphemy. If you watch the video you can see this is taken out of content. This here is a pointless story.
Tribune, I would prefer to hear more about the many plans the FNM has for the country. (Though it's sad to see that both PLP and FNM have a long way to go in bringing a better approach of governing our country than we've seen in the past 50 years).
sheeprunner12 6 years, 12 months ago
Please go to ourfnm.org .......... and flippin read the FNM plan!!!!!!!!!
tell_it_like_it_is 6 years, 12 months ago
sheeprunner12 there's no need for incivility. I apologize if I caused any offense because it definitely was not intended.
My point was that I would like to see meaningful info like that printed in the news: the positive plans the FNM has for the country because the current opposition has quite a bit to offer. Sometimes the media focuses on peculiar things. As educated adults we should all be able to dialogue in a mature and peaceful manner. God speed.
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