By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Progressive Liberal Party MP Philip Galanis yesterday chastised Prime Minister Perry Christie over his recent assertion that the party could become unstable without him at the helm, saying this was the “height of nonsense” and bordered on “delusional”.

In a frank interview with The Tribune, Mr Galanis said there are many persons within the party that are capable of bringing a breath of fresh air into the country, ridding it of the “Christie fatigue” it now experiences. Mr Galanis insisted that if it was Mr Christie’s desire to remain on as prime minister, he should just be intellectually honest and say so.

He went on to explain that despite Mr Christie’s constant mantra that his team was a “bridge to the future,” his declaration on Monday was an admission that he failed to appoint persons who could actually succeed him.

Asked if he believed the party should have an earlier convention, Mr Galanis said the PLP should because the planned November timeline was too late to change leaders and draft a plan to direct the country.

Meanwhile, former PLP Cabinet Minister George Smith was adamant that while no one should underestimate the importance of Mr Christie’s role as leader, the organisation is bigger than any one person and will not fall apart should he retire.

Mr Smith said he believes Mr Christie is being encouraged to remain leader of the governing party by some PLPs and members of Parliament who fear without him they will not have the same level of “clout” under new leadership.

Mr Galanis said: “If those statements are correct, that is the height of nonsense. The PLP is much bigger than Mr Christie. It has withstood change in leadership before. His continued leadership has nothing to do with the stability of the PLP. It’s stable and has been so for many years. While there have been moments where we have undergone challenges, there is no credence in the comment that he has to stay on for stability to remain in the PLP.

“If he wants to stay on, just stay on. Be intellectually honest. Don’t say it will bring instability to the party because the party is stable. In the year I won my seat in 1967, we won six seats. At that time many persons suggested that the PLP should re-brand itself or change its name. But the fact is in each instance, we garnered sufficient votes from Bahamians. Some people who serve as minister may be unstable but that has nothing to do with the level of stability in the party. In fact it borders on delusional to suggest that.”

Mr Galanis added: “Mr Christie’s statement may be a poor indictment on him. It says he’s chosen people who are supposed to be a bridge to the future yet he is admitting he has failed to appoint or select persons who can be that bridge.”

Mr Galanis insisted that there were many people in the party capable and able to lead the party. These include: West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell, Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald and Golden Isles MP Michael Halkitis.

“There are any number of persons who would be able to bring a breath of fresh air and new vision and help us get over the Christie fatigue the country is experiencing right now. If he feels the way he does because there is no one who can replace him, that in my mind would be an indictment on him.”

Also speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Smith pointed to Mr Christie’s two predecessors – Sir Henry Taylor, former governor general and the party’s first leader, and former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling, the second and longest serving leader - insisting the PLP had always managed to unify and survive.

His comments came after Mr Christie, during an appearance on the “Ed Fields Live” show on Kiss FM Monday evening, said the instability affecting the Official Opposition might happen in the PLP if he stepped down.

Mr Christie gave this as one of the reasons he has decided to remain leader with no indication of a possible retirement.

Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis on Tuesday rejected Mr Christie’s assertions.

When asked if the PLP would become unstable without Mr Christie, Mr Davis said: “It depends on how you define what is meant by instability. The Official Opposition is in shambles. The PLP always finds a way to right its way at any given time despite whatever happens.”

Asked why Mr Christie would make such a claim, Mr Davis declined to speculate, saying: “You should ask him. I don’t know why he thinks that. That’s for him to answer.”

The prime minister also drew attention on Monday when he said he seeks to continue leading the PLP because enough young members of his government have urged him to do so.

He did not name those members, but one PLP parliamentarian who spoke to The Tribune on Tuesday expressed incredulity at his statement.

“I would have to ask around to find out who they are,” the parliamentarian, who did not want to be named, said. “I’m sure (people) got a good laugh at that.”