By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IN A full endorsement of Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller yesterday forecast that Prime Minister Perry Christie and Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis were on equal footing in their chances of winning the next general election.

Mr Miller said while he hopes the PLP remains the government after the upcoming general election, Dr Minnis would also be good for the country.

The Tall Pines MP told The Tribune that Dr Minnis has “a heart for the people” and if anyone were to beat Prime Minister Perry Christie, it should be the FNM leader.

While he noted that he and the FNM leader are “foes politically,” Mr Miller underscored that he had “full faith” in Dr Minnis and his leadership skills.

He added that at this point no one can predict who will win the next general election. He said that at the end of the day “the people will decide who they want.”

“Dr Minnis is my friend and his chances are good. I will say it again if the PLP gets more than 23 seats I will be surprised, anything can happen in this race,” Mr Miller said.

“We don’t know how many votes the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) could take from us and I hope they take more from the FNM than they take from us but nothing would surprise me on election day. I have never seen anything like this in my life. This election will see some major changes. No one can predict what will happen, this election will be reminiscent of what happened in ’67. It was an 18, 18 win. I don’t think anyone will get more than 23 seats. Dr Minnis and Mr Christie have the same chance of winning this election. People keep selling Dr Minnis short. He is a successful man and his heart is in the right place. He was born over the hill and that is where his heart is. He is more PLP than anyone in the FNM, his whole mindset is the same as the PLP. I have full faith in his leadership and him as a person. His heart is with the people. We may be foes politically but as man talking to another man he is good with me. He would look out for the people but obviously I prefer the PLP to win. I am a PLP and will always be PLP.”

Mr Miller also sought to clarify comments he made in The Tribune earlier this week, where he described Dr Minnis as “not the smartest man on two legs”.

At the time, Mr Miller was responding to Dr Minnis’ pledge to execute a real sale of Baha Mar if the FNM was elected as the next government.

“I didn’t mean it in a derogatory way,” Mr Miller said.

“What I meant was he isn’t the smartest on two legs when it comes to being brutal in politics. He is too nice when he should be cutting people off at the legs. He should have thrown them people out of the party when they tried to get him out. That is what I meant, it was never my intention to be negative. Dr Minnis is my friend but everyone sells him short. I would never use disparaging remarks against him.”

Mr Miller has previously said Dr Minnis is the PLP’s most “formidable” option to challenge Prime Minister Perry Christie, as voters view him as a man who rose from “have-not” status and can relate to the plight of poor Bahamians.