By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Cabinet minister George Smith said Progressive Liberal Party leadership challenger Alfred Sears should not be considered “dead in the water,” saying a leadership race is healthy for democracy.

He insisted that there is a possibility some of the party’s delegates might be impressed with Mr Sears’ “fresh new ideas,” which could stimulate discussion within the PLP.

Mr Smith did not reveal yesterday which candidate he intends to support during the party’s November convention, but said those who have projected that Prime Minister Perry Christie will retain his position must provide substantial reasons for their confidence in the party leader.

Since Mr Sears, a former attorney general, announced his intention to contest the PLP’s top post, high-ranking PLPs have counted him out as the underdog.

West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe projected this week that Mr Christie would win his seat in a “landslide” victory while Marathon MP Fitzgerald has said Mr Sears’ chances of success were “highly unlikely.”

Nonetheless, Mr Smith said instead of chiding the former MP over the timing of his decision and counting him out, PLPs should view this as the perfect opportunity to hone new ideas for the organisation.

“What is happening is very healthy and I believe it will help us to focus on the things that we need to focus on,” Mr Smith said when he was contacted yesterday.

“I encourage Mr Sears because I know he is capable of new ideas and if he puts them out there for the many delegates to consider who knows, the delegates might receive it and he might be successful.

“And even if that does not result in his winning his bid, it will have a very positive effect in that it will cause a discussion to take place on those matters in PLP circles across the country and that could only help the organisation going into convention.”

He continued: “What I think he has done is to do a great service in that I know he has previously put out in the public domain his opinion on a variety of matters including local government, his thoughts on how to empower Bahamians, how we can grow the economy and how we can improve the education system and build on what we have already done with National Health Insurance. All of those things are extremely worthwhile.”

Mr Smith told The Tribune he hoped the upcoming convention is not just about a vote for a leader. He said the organisation must take this time to seriously create innovative programmes that will bring change to the country and analyse the performance of incumbent members of Parliament. “It is a great disservice to the delegates for anyone to say that someone who might put their name in the race is dead in the water. That’s not fair. So I think it is very healthy and I encourage him as opposed to ruling him out.

“I also encourage those who are confident that Mr Christie will win to not just say he is going in and coming out as the leader. They must give reasons. It is not sufficient to just say he will remain - we are a better party than that. We are more intelligent than that.”

Mr Christie has said he does not feel threatened by Mr Sears’ bid to challenge him in the upcoming convention.

On Wednesday, Mr Wilchcombe hinted that there is no one else in the PLP who could defeat the prime minister, as “he always wins in conventions.” He stepped away from previous assertions when he revealed that he wanted to be leader of the organisation.

Instead, when The Tribune questioned him about this, the MP suggested that he was not prepared at this time to lead the PLP. He said he would contest the top post of the governing party whenever Mr Christie decides to retire.

He made the comments the day after Mr Fitzgerald told reporters that former Attorney General Alfred Sears’ chances of defeating Mr Christie in the PLP’s leadership race during its convention were “slim.”