The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

THE delayed Constituencies Commission report could be complete sometime this week giving every indication that all eligible Bahamians should register to vote now, Prime Minister Perry Christie has said.

While the nation’s leader said he does not expect any major changes from the commission, one of their considerations may present a challenge in that he could be faced with winning over new voters in his constituency.

He was referring to the possible reintroduction of the St Cecelia and St Thomas More constituencies that were eliminated ahead of the 2012 general election under the previous Ingraham administration.

However, Mr Christie said ultimately he must still give the nod on these proposed changes. He made the comments during an interview with Our News over the weekend.

The prime minister also commented on the recent Progressive Liberal Party leadership race with former Attorney General Alfred Sears, QC. He said he was not of the belief that this would harm Mr Sears’ future with the party.

“Maybe as early as next week the country will see that,” Mr Christie said during the television interview, referring to the Constituencies Commission’s report.

“I will simply say this: that there is every indication as to why people should get registered. Because I can tell you that we have the responsibility of indicating when general elections will take place and our only obligation is to ensure that sufficient people are registered to vote in the election.

“I don’t expect major changes from them (the commission). Constitutionally the final act is that of the prime minister. The report will ultimately come to the prime minister who has the power to agree or disagree and then it goes to Parliament. Therefore I expect that momentarily.

“One of the considerations they’ve had is looking at the area that Mr Ingraham eliminated two seats when he created the new Centreville and the new Bain and Grants town. He eliminated St Cecelia and St Thomas More.

The question for the Constituencies Commission is to now make their report.

“It may mean for me that I have a different kind of constituency and as leader of the party that’s a challenge as well because if I have to go and find new people and new voters as was the case last time, it poses a challenge.”

Asked if he had a date in mind for election, Mr Christie said he did not.

“But my options are not all that great. We know that it has to happen between now and a certain date.”

The next election must be held by May 7.

Regarding Mr Sears and the leadership race, Mr Christie said he felt gratified that delegates voted to retain him as their leader. He said the party still has confidence that Mr Sears will win the Fort Charlotte constituency.

“When you are subject to a contest and people have to make a decision as to whether or not they support you and they do and they do in overwhelming numbers you have to feel very, very good about it because it means that they understand what it means to have continuity in office.”

He also said: “We are living in a democracy. I must say that he elected to run, he thought he could win and he tried to do just that.

“I don’t think it arises as to whether or not he has the support of the party. We nominated him and we nominated him on the basis that we thought he had the capacity to easily win the seat. That was our confidence in him and I have no reason to doubt the basis of that decision and now I’ve moved on.”

“He has been given the nomination for the Fort Charlotte consistency. I assume that when he applied for it he wanted to be a member of Parliament and now he must contest in that capacity the general election for that constituency and be successful because one of the ways for the PLP to form the next government is for any number of us, including Mr Sears to be successful,” Mr Christie said.

Mr Christie said the convention was a good indicator that the party is headed in the right direction, as he insisted that the PLP is a stable organisation.

“(We are) one that provides a continuum of leadership. You know what you’re going to get and perhaps equally as important you know based on our own history of stability you know what you are not going to get and that is what is evident today in the splintering on the part of the opposition parties in our country”.

During the party’s convention last week, stalwart councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of Mr Christie, who received 1,264 votes to a meagre 169 ballots cast in support of Mr Sears.