By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

WITH the country set to move into an election year in the next few days, Prime Minister Perry Christie has indicated that a potential election date could hinge on voter registration in the coming weeks, implying that he could make a determination as early as February “if we get the numbers right”.

The next election must be called by May 2017.

Mr Christie, speaking to voter registration numbers on the sidelines of the 2016 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade, admitted to The Tribune that the process has been “a struggle” for his administration, pushing officials “back to the drawing board” as they look for ways to encourage voters to “support the process”.

According to Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall, a slight increase in registration in late November placed the registered voter count to just around 67,000; roughly half of what it was at the same point in 2011.

Mr Christie told The Tribune that “surprising forecast” has led his administration to steer “tremendous resources” towards voter registration with the hopes of “convincing eligible voters to first register and secondly, take part in this vital process”.

Mr Christie said: “We have to have at least the number of people who registered the last time and who voted last time.

“I expect that with the resources we are now dedicating to this venture, that is registration - we have added staff, we have added resources - so we will have a greater capacity to register people beginning in January. So by February, we are looking to have many people registered and for us to, sort of believe that we are on the right path.

“So what I will suggest to you is watch the registration, see how that goes, and see how the numbers are increasing and once that reaches a certain level we will go ahead. When elections are called will be greatly influenced by the rate of registration.”

Mr Christie also clarified his party’s plans heading into 2017, a year in which the Progressive Liberal Party plans to hold its first convention since 2009 and contest a general election.

The party is expected to hold its convention in late January, a convention from which Mr Christie said he is confident he will emerge victorious.

Addressing both events, Mr Christie said the PLP is and has always been a formidable political organisation, adding that the party is “more than capable” of managing a convention and preparing for a general election within months of each other.

“There are several things we are focused on as a party. This is what is key here, the ability to work on these initiatives at the same time. We in the PLP are moving towards a convention in January. By the time we go to convention, we will have all of our candidates named and ratified. So we are progressing with that and a general election.

“We are looking at those constituencies that we have left, ensuring that we have the best possible candidates in line for those communities. Our eyes are also focused on what the (Constituencies) Commission does, as we may get one or two new seats. We wait because there is still a determination to be made with respect to that by the Constituencies Commission.

“When asked about our confidence, or my confidence, I have said and will continue to say I am confident on all fronts,” stated Mr Christie.

“The answer is yes, I am confident that I will go into the convention and emerge as leader,” he said, responding to a question from The Tribune. “I have indicated that a long time ago and when I first indicated that I didn’t know if there would be a candidate against me, now that I know that there is a candidate, I remain satisfied that I will emerge as leader of the Progressive Liberal Party.”

PLP Ft Charlotte candidate and former Attorney General Alfred Sears has announced his plans to challenge Mr Christie at the convention.

“Thereafter we will move towards finishing the convention and into a general election that I am also confident that we will emerge from it as the next government of the Bahamas,” Mr Christie added.

“The PLP is focused on demonstrating to the people of this country that we are the stable organisation, we are the organisation with a vision, that we are the organisation with safe and secure hands and that we are not in crisis as a party, we are not agitating and split and we are not wrenting ourselves asunder and that we are a stable force with a vision,” he said.

Mr Christie has previously pitched the PLP as a force of stability compared to its alternatives.

Last week, he insisted that the “meltdown” of opposition parties in the Bahamas was a reason to have confidence in the PLP moving into the upcoming general election.

This was later slammed as political deflection by Free National Movement Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest.

Mr Turnquest said the FNM is “more united now than it has been in some time,” even after the decision of seven parliamentarians to oust party Leader Dr Hubert Minnis as leader of the Official Opposition.

Mr Turnquest added that Mr Christie’s statements say more about him and his insecurities as a leader, adding that Mr Christie’s real fear is the FNM.