Bahamas Blog

Embattled Prime Minister Perry Christie has returned from a trip to Malta where he attended a Heads of Commonwealth meeting. This, despite the fact that his PLP government scorns the Queen, wants to denounce our Colonial past and is even considering dumping the Queen's Honour system. In other words, Perry went to the meeting for PR value and because he thought it would be 'cool' to hang out with other world leaders.

You can tell Mr. Christie is nothing but a star-gazer. One of the first things he mentioned upon his return was how he met other "heads" who have "traveled the world and met many other important world leaders." Wow, Perry! Ya' think someday you'll be so lucky, and cool! What an impressionable ass! Christie is too easily impressed by the glamour and trappings of his office. As one Canadian investor said upon meeting Mr. Christie shortly after the 2002 election: "He doesn't seem to grasp the seriousness of his job. I am not sure if he is a stupid man or just so shit-happy that he finally gets to be PM."

This is the same thankless SOB who didn't even acknowledge the 'Get Well' card, signed in May 2005, by over 200 well wishers (including myself) and delivered to his office by BahamasB2B.com. The guy was supposedly on his death bed. The nation reacts compassionately and the ungrateful twit doesn't even say thanks. Next time, we should let the bastard die.

Now, after wasting thousands of dollars of tax payers money to play "head of state" in Malta, Mr. Christie returns from overseas and calls a press conference, presumably to inform the country of what transpired at the Heads of Government meeting that would have warranted his presence and our expenditure.

Mr. Christie seemed to be in a hurry as he got off the plane, nearly tripping in his zeal as he scampered down the hallway to the nearest microphone. But alas, he had barely opened his mouth before he latched onto the PLP's favourite topic... Hubert Ingraham and the FNM.

Like we don't hear enough about the FNM from the corrupt jackass Carl Bethel. Now, we are forced to listen to a play-by-play of Ingraham's activities from Perry and the PLP.

Mr. Christie admitted that he got a "little bit upset," and said that he thought he should respond to Mr. Ingraham, who yesterday had justifiably blasted the government over a wide range of issues, from race to the state of the economy.

The prime minister brushed off Mr. Ingraham's criticism relating to the Izmirlian family, who is developing the $1.6 billion multi-use resort on Cable Beach known as Baha Mar.

Mr. Ingraham had correctly pointed out that the PLP had "deep-sixed," or denied, the first Izmirlian application for permanent residency in 1990, but shortly after, the FNM government had granted permanent residencies to both Mr. Izmirlian and his son.

Mr. Christie said that it was "immature" for Mr. Ingraham to raise the issue of the permanent residencies for the Izmirlians.

"(Mr. Ingraham) talks about 'I gave him the residency permits,' therefore everything that he does after that, 'I could claim.' Christie whined like an immature little boy who knows he's wrong but won't admit it. "Well that means from here to eternity. Come on, what country do you see engaging in such debates, for goodness sake?" he cried.

Not sure about Perry, but we see THIS country engaging in such reasonable debates. The PLP government claims that it's biggest accomplishment is the Baha Mar development, yet they denied the investors of that project a residency permit. Thank God the FNM was wise enough to discern the potential of the Izmirlians or Perry's PLP would have nothing to crow about at all.

The former prime minister also accused the PLP of keeping the public in the dark on the Baha Mar project.

But Mr. Christie said that no investment transaction has ever been so "transparent," noting that the transaction was signed in April and that the Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe delivered a 16-page communication on the Baha Mar development in the House of Assembly on May 25, citing all of the details. Wilchcombe also tabled a copy of the Heads of Agreement, which sets out all of the details of the project, said Christie.

Not true!

The documents mentioned above do not detail the concessions that were granted to the developer, nor do they include the finer points of the deal, which the public has not been privy to.

Mr. Ingraham denied Mr. Christie's claim that the Baha Mar deal was transparent, adding that "in due course the facts will be laid bare."

So Perry, doesn't just keep us in the dark, he lies about it as well. Mr. Christie must think his constituents are stupid. Do we really want a Prime Minister who thinks we are stupid?

To add salt to the wound, the prime minister said a meeting for stakeholders and people living in the Cable Beach area was held to update residents on how the project would affect the area. I was at that meeting. One meeting, where the government talks and the people are told to listen, where dissenters are allowed one minute rebuttals, is hardly the consultative government we were promised. Besides, that meeting was AFTER the agreement was signed. It was like the government was telling us what's going to happen, not asking us our opinions.

In response to Mr. Ingraham's accusation that the government had handled the Royal Oasis Resort situation badly, Mr. Christie shifted uncomfortably in his seat and then babbled something about the Tsunami in Asia and other destinations affected by hurricane damage. He defensively insisted that the PLP has an "exciting programme" for Grand Bahama, but said he could not "speak to all the details". Who does this man think he's jiving?

After calling Mr. Ingraham "immature", Mr. Christie proved himself so by launching into a tirade of "I am the King".

"I will have to remind him (Mr. Ingraham) that I am the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and that you don't go around talking about you 'will find out and report to the nation', that is what you do when you are prime minister and I am the prime minister," Christie cried like an insecure jock pumping himself up in front of a mirror while chanting, "You are the man."

It is every Bahamian's right and duty to point out government stupidity and corruption, not just Perry Christie's or Hubert Ingraham's. Besides, it has been proven on numerous occasions that, when crime and corruption is brought to the attention of the PLP government, nothing gets done. That is why Bradley Roberts, Alfred Sears, Obie Pindling, Leslie Miller, Franklyn Wilson, Sydney Stubbs, Neil Ellis, and the other flotsam that the PLP protects, are not in jail, where they belong.

I find it interesting, and very disturbing, that the Prime Minister, who has had nothing to say about all sorts of important topics like PetroCaribe, the CSME, immigration, the economy or the environment, finally calls a big press conference and talks about nothing but Hubert Ingraham.

Maybe Hubert Ingraham should be leading this country, instead of his biggest admirer, because the more Perry Christie speaks, the less Bahamians listen.