By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Attorney General and Progressive Liberal Party candidate for Fort Charlotte Alfred Sears, QC, said yesterday when he defeats Prime Minister Perry Christie and becomes leader of the PLP after the party’s January convention, he will invite Mr Christie to “stay” and be part of his Cabinet.

As a guest on The Breeze 98.3FM in Exuma, Mr Sears said the best chance for the PLP to be re-elected is under his leadership. He said he is thankful the convention will finally be held because his win will “improve our prospect of regaining or retaining the government of The Bahamas.”

“As leader of the Progressive Liberal Party, the current incumbent will be afforded all of the honours, respect and appreciation for over 40 years of public service and I have said to the leader myself in the last meeting, as leader I would want you to stay and even be a part of the Cabinet as a minister,” Mr Sears said.

“This shift of paradigm requires a level of maturity. We can use this wealth of knowledge we have together. In this campaign there is no beef, we are providing a programme to strengthen the party and strengthen the country. People may be looking for us to be talking nasty about each other but the way this country is going, we have to rise to the next level.”

The PLP has not held a convention since 2009, even though the party’s constitution mandates that one be held every year.

“I believe the best chance for the PLP to be re-elected is under my leadership. We are talking about a democratic process, we aren’t talking about a whimsical act. We are talking about a democratic process that is important not just for the PLP but how the PLP conducts itself is important for the Bahamas because it is the PLP that is asking the Bahamas to give it the privilege of leading the entire government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,” Mr Sears said.

“This is not a matter of convenience or even expediency, this is a matter that goes to the core of the governance and in the interest of every single citizen. We wrote privately and asked last year for the convention to be held so this is the last chance I believe that we have to improve our prospect of regaining or retaining the government of the Bahamas.”

The PLP will hold its convention from January 24 to 26, 2017. The event had been scheduled for the last week in November but was postponed, after several other delays, because of the damage left behind by Hurricane Matthew.