Bahamas News
05-02-05, - 09:51 PM
PM Sorry For Tommy
Candia Dames
The Bahama Journal
Prime Minister Perry Christie said on Sunday that he felt sorry for Free National Movement Leader Senator Tommy Turnquest who is embroiled in what some within his party have called a leadership crisis.
Nearly a week after The Bahama Journal published the exclusive report, the prime minister commented on the issue during an exclusive interview at his Cable Beach home where he reflected on his administration’s accomplishments and challenges over the last three years.
"I in a way feel bad for Tommy Turnquest," said Mr. Christie, who is today celebrating his third anniversary as prime minister.
"When Sir Lynden decided that he was going to vacate, even though he clearly supported me and was criticized for it, I became the leader and he moved off. As long as (former Prime Minister) Hubert Ingraham is in public life and the elected leader of the FNM is not in the House of Assembly you are going to have this major contradiction and conflict on the part of who is the real leader and you will continue to have people ask for the return of someone who took them to victory before and that’s Mr. Ingraham.
"It’s sad, but it’s a reality. I feel sorry for him because he is really in an invidious position. But, you know, it doesn’t matter to us. From my point of view, I am not going to be distracted by the FNM because I am basing all of my political plans and the economic and social plans of the country on my being prime minister after the next general election.
"For that to happen, the people must have confidence in me. I’m all about ensuring that this is what is taking place: growing and consolidating the confidence in my administration for the next time around and we shall watch from afar to see how Mr. Turnquest and the other leaders of the FNM go about putting their house in order.
"It’s going to be good for democracy that they do so because they then run the danger of being hopelessly inadequate to the process and no one wants that really."
Mr. Christie was asked to respond to Mr. Turnquest’s statement at a press conference he held last Tuesday during which time he said the press should be focusing attention on what he called an inept and rudderless government of Prime Minister Christie and not a "make-believe" issue of a leadership crisis.
At his press conference, the FNM Leader said, "They want desperately to take the focus off their incompetence, ineffectiveness and inefficiency. We must continue to reveal their total ineptitude as a government. The old, pompous, all-for-me nature of the PLP is back and we must resolve to rid our country of this rudderless, incompetent and unfocused government. This is the focus of the FNM – nothing more, nothing less."
He had called that press conference to respond to the Journal article which revealed that a committee he appointed, which is headed by former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson, reported that the problem it found is that there is a deep concern about the need for new leadership of the FNM.
The prime minister indicated in his Sunday interview with the Journal that given that the political season is heating up, he would expect the FNM to "increase its activity" and make such statements against his government.
But he said he and his ream remain focused on the task at hand.
"I think they are going to become more and more active as they head into a convention in November and so clearly, he must establish his leadership," the prime minister said of Mr. Turnquest.
"You will find that it is the political season as we move into the year, but again, we must not even be distracted by that. We’re about ensuring that the programmes that we promised are delivered to the people.
"One good thing about life is that we had two years to do some things knowing that it will take two years to have them implemented and so the fourth and fifth years are implementation years and the results of that will be experienced by all the people."
Mr. Christie said that over the next two years, his government will be demonstrating to Bahamians why it is important to give it a next chance.
Asked whether he had a special message for his detractors, the prime minister said, "I have been in elected politics from 1977. Someone must sit down and ask themselves, ‘What manner of man is it who can win six consecutive elections? How does he do it?’ Obviously it is hard work. H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K, discipline, determination, and the [Christie] shuffle."
Candia Dames
The Bahama Journal
Prime Minister Perry Christie said on Sunday that he felt sorry for Free National Movement Leader Senator Tommy Turnquest who is embroiled in what some within his party have called a leadership crisis.
Nearly a week after The Bahama Journal published the exclusive report, the prime minister commented on the issue during an exclusive interview at his Cable Beach home where he reflected on his administration’s accomplishments and challenges over the last three years.
"I in a way feel bad for Tommy Turnquest," said Mr. Christie, who is today celebrating his third anniversary as prime minister.
"When Sir Lynden decided that he was going to vacate, even though he clearly supported me and was criticized for it, I became the leader and he moved off. As long as (former Prime Minister) Hubert Ingraham is in public life and the elected leader of the FNM is not in the House of Assembly you are going to have this major contradiction and conflict on the part of who is the real leader and you will continue to have people ask for the return of someone who took them to victory before and that’s Mr. Ingraham.
"It’s sad, but it’s a reality. I feel sorry for him because he is really in an invidious position. But, you know, it doesn’t matter to us. From my point of view, I am not going to be distracted by the FNM because I am basing all of my political plans and the economic and social plans of the country on my being prime minister after the next general election.
"For that to happen, the people must have confidence in me. I’m all about ensuring that this is what is taking place: growing and consolidating the confidence in my administration for the next time around and we shall watch from afar to see how Mr. Turnquest and the other leaders of the FNM go about putting their house in order.
"It’s going to be good for democracy that they do so because they then run the danger of being hopelessly inadequate to the process and no one wants that really."
Mr. Christie was asked to respond to Mr. Turnquest’s statement at a press conference he held last Tuesday during which time he said the press should be focusing attention on what he called an inept and rudderless government of Prime Minister Christie and not a "make-believe" issue of a leadership crisis.
At his press conference, the FNM Leader said, "They want desperately to take the focus off their incompetence, ineffectiveness and inefficiency. We must continue to reveal their total ineptitude as a government. The old, pompous, all-for-me nature of the PLP is back and we must resolve to rid our country of this rudderless, incompetent and unfocused government. This is the focus of the FNM – nothing more, nothing less."
He had called that press conference to respond to the Journal article which revealed that a committee he appointed, which is headed by former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson, reported that the problem it found is that there is a deep concern about the need for new leadership of the FNM.
The prime minister indicated in his Sunday interview with the Journal that given that the political season is heating up, he would expect the FNM to "increase its activity" and make such statements against his government.
But he said he and his ream remain focused on the task at hand.
"I think they are going to become more and more active as they head into a convention in November and so clearly, he must establish his leadership," the prime minister said of Mr. Turnquest.
"You will find that it is the political season as we move into the year, but again, we must not even be distracted by that. We’re about ensuring that the programmes that we promised are delivered to the people.
"One good thing about life is that we had two years to do some things knowing that it will take two years to have them implemented and so the fourth and fifth years are implementation years and the results of that will be experienced by all the people."
Mr. Christie said that over the next two years, his government will be demonstrating to Bahamians why it is important to give it a next chance.
Asked whether he had a special message for his detractors, the prime minister said, "I have been in elected politics from 1977. Someone must sit down and ask themselves, ‘What manner of man is it who can win six consecutive elections? How does he do it?’ Obviously it is hard work. H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K, discipline, determination, and the [Christie] shuffle."