EDITOR, The Tribune

THE timing of Junkanoo Carnival 2017 is not coincidental.

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) intentionally scheduled it around late April, early May in order to coincide with the election season. It seems to be their way of having a huge pre-election party funded by taxpayers with the aim of helping tens of thousands of struggling Bahamians to forget about the misery they have had to endure over the past five years.

For the 74-year-old Perry Christie and co, it’s worth the try, even though it would be a stretch to attempt offsetting the economic suffering of many by holding a huge party.

I don’t see it working. Far too many former middle-class Bahamians have been literally reduced to paupers despite the promise to create 10,000 jobs in their first year. Far too many Bahamian families have lost their homes, despite mortgage relief being vigorously campaigned on.

There have been 600 murders over the past five years. Undoubtedly that figure is much higher. Remember the murder billboards? This administration has failed in the two key areas of crime and the economy.

Based on its performance, the PLP is set to suffer a landslide defeat at the polls. I believe the Free National movement (FNM) will sweep Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera. Exuma will be going FNM and the party is poised to win at least 15 seats in New Providence as well as North Andros and the Berry Islands. So far that’s 26 seats for the FNM. Add Long Island and that takes us to 27.

For PM Christie, his 40-year MP career will come to an end immediately following the election. I predict he will stand down as Farm Road MP and as PLP leader. A by-election will be called by the Minnis government for that area. Reece Chipman will win.

A special two-day or one-day PLP convention will be held to elect a new leader and new chairman. I believe Bradley Roberts will also stand down. Alfred Sears, Jerome Fitzgerald, Brave Davis and Fred Mitchell will vie for the leadership. Davis will win, which will be a good thing for the FNM.

The newly-minted Senator Fitzgerald will be at a disadvantage due to him having lost his Marathon seat to the FNM’s Romauld Ferreira. Marathon residents will not forgive him concerning his handling of the Rubis gas leak and nolle prosequi matters. They will also remember his “touch one touch all” threat after reading the private emails of Save the Bays members in the House.

Obie Wilchcombe might vie for the deputy leadership post. He, too, will be a senator, after having lost his West Grand Bahama and Bimini seat to the FNM’s Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe. Wilcombe has been nicknamed the ‘Funeral MP’. He has been virtually invisible in West Grand Bahama.

He will have a hard time explaining to his constituents why he doesn’t have a constituency office opened in that community. He will also have difficulty explaining why he has failed to hold constituency meetings.

Hardly anyone will miss Christie when he retires. The man has been that bad as PM and as Farm Road MP. If you noticed, the only people who have come to his defence publicly are those who are on the PLP gravy train or those hoping to get on it. For example, Ortland Bodie, PLP MPs, PLP senators, ZNS, Ivoine Ingraham, Algernon Allen, et al.

Christie will go down as the worst PM in the Majority Rule era. When he announces his retirement, literally tens of thousands of Bahamians will burst into songs of celebration. They are eager to see the back of the man who raised his middle finger at them.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER

Nassau,

March 26, 2017.