By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

ISLAND Luck CEO Sebas Bastian yesterday said it is “100 per cent false” that he has requested Prime Minister Perry Christie to nominate him as the Progressive Liberal Party’s candidate for North Andros, maintaining that he can be a “greater benefit” to the Bahamas by “remaining in the private sector”.

Mr Bastian, in an email in response to a query by The Tribune, said he “never asked or was asked by Mr Christie to run in any seat in the upcoming election”.

Mr Bastian said he has “no political aspirations” and instead remains “committed to nation building and being the best corporate citizen I can to help shape the kind of Bahamas I want for our future”.

Mr Bastian also said he is neither a FNM nor a PLP supporter, and regardless of which party wins the 2017 general election, he will “support them in any way I can to help build and move the country forward”.

However, he said the North Andros constituency can be assured that his organisation “will be aggressively providing resources and support” as well as “partnering with the government so together we can make Andros great again”.

Mr Bastian was responding to a report in a local tabloid that claimed he was seeking to get the nod from Mr Christie on being the PLP’s candidate for North Andros, a post currently held by Minister of Health Dr Perry Gomez, who is also the member of Parliament for the Berry Islands.

“…I can confirm that it is 100 per cent false,” Mr Bastian said in response. “At this point in my life I have no political aspirations as I feel I can be a greater benefit to my country remaining in the private sector. For the record I am neither FNM nor PLP, I am a Bahamian and regardless of which government wins the next election, I will support them in any way I can to help build and move the country forward.

“I am grateful and flattered that many persons would support me if I did in fact decide to run, but maybe next time around. I remain committed to nation building and being the best corporate citizen I can be to help shape the kind of Bahamas I want for our future.

“North Andros can, however, be assured that our organisation will be aggressively providing resources and support to the island and partnering with the government so together we can make Andros great again.”

In January, Mr Bastian denied similar rumours - that he had been tapped to receive the PLP’s nomination to run in North Eleuthera - although insisting at the time that having to “toe the party line” as part of a political organisation is the primary reason he would “never enter politics”.

Mr Bastian said previously that while he has “zero” interest in being a politician, his only incentive for entering politics would be the absolute assurance that he would be leader of the party of his choice, be it the FNM, PLP or Democratic National Alliance (DNA).

However, Mr Bastian said he already sees himself as a member of Parliament of sorts because he represents the “hopeless and everybody that needs opportunity and help on a daily basis”.

“I leave politics to politicians; I am not a politician,” Mr Bastian said at the time.