By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Cabinet minister George Smith doesn’t expect Prime Minister Perry Christie to underestimate Alfred Sears’ challenge to his leadership, saying Mr Christie realises “Alfred is no fool.”

His statement came after Mr Sears published his lengthy platform for governance in The Tribune yesterday.

The 25-page document contained Mr Sears’ agenda for a wide range of issues, from governance, anti-corruption, government transparency, immigration, tourism development and more.

Mr Christie, by contrast, has been preoccupied with the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, his response to the storm receiving both praise and criticism.

It’s unclear if Mr Christie will follow Mr Sears’ lead and offer specifics about his plans for the future ahead of the PLP’s convention.

A failure to do so could be interpreted as a sign of how assured he is of victory.

Already some close to the prime minister believe Mr Sears poses a minor threat to Mr Christie’s attempts to be selected again as leader.

They favourably contrast Mr Sears’ campaign to that of Free National Movement MP Loretta Butler-Turner, whose more caustic approach to become leader of the Official Opposition, some of them believe, showed “disrespect” to Dr Minnis.

Mr Sears, by contrast, has avoided sharp criticism of the man he will challenge at the party’s convention, prompting some to doubt the seriousness of his challenge.

“He’s positioning himself to succeed the prime minister sometime in the future, not so much to defeat him this round,” one insider said.

Mr Smith, however, said Mr Christie is experienced enough to take Mr Sear’s challenge seriously.

“Perry Christie is a very intelligent, wise man,” he said. “He’s demonstrated he’s a shrewd politician, that he has survived difficult periods in his political life, very many of them, so obviously he is knowledgeable. I think that Christie knows Alfred Sears is an extremely intelligent, committed, devoted member of the PLP, committed to the party’s philosophy and Christie knows Alfred is not to be ignored.

“Alfred is no fool. He’s obviously given this matter great thought as evidenced by the level of preparation he’s given to his platform and vision for the people. Anyone who thinks Alfred is just doing this as an exercise obviously doesn’t know the man. He’s a serious and noble patriarch of the Bahamas. I believe we are going to have a convention.

“I believe we will have an interesting convention and I believe the ideas being put forward by Mr Sears will attract a lot of attention and a lot of publicity and it is healthy for the PLP. I believe what will come out of it will only serve the party well,” Mr Smith said.

The PLP’s National General Council is expected to discuss the party’s convention when it meets tonight. Some have called for the PLP to postpone the event because of Hurricane Matthew.