The governing Progressive Liberal Party is expected to confirm its candidates for the next general elections by the end of July, according to Prime Minister Perry Christie.
Mr. Christie said in a recent exclusive interview with The Bahama Journal that the party was in the process of confirming those persons who will run on the PLP’s ticket.
“We have a party whereby some people having ceased being members of parliament and others have applied and expressed an interest in representing those seats, and so [we have] to go through the process of giving everyone an opportunity to be heard with respect to the application they have made, to be assessed, and for us to determine whether or not we will move on without some members of parliament, and whether some members of parliament would want to retire,” Mr. Christie said.
“So thatﾒs the process that we are engaged in right now. We hope to have that finished, most certainly by the end of this month.”
Official Opposition Leader Hubert Ingraham has promised to announce mostly new names to run under the FNM banner in New Providence constituencies
When asked about the possibility of new faces on the PLP slate, the prime minister simply responded, “Because it is such a sensitive period we are going through now involving people and their future, I want to exercise the greatest care in what I say and that is why I have began the process of ratifying candidates.
“I have decided that I would go no further with the formal ratification by the national general council of the PLP until such time as I offer all.”
Many sitting PLP MPs are expected to be renamed as candidates, but there are a few names that remain uncertain.
For example, some politicos are waiting to see whether the PLP will run controversial Holy Cross MP Sidney Stubbs, who caused numerous distractions for the party during the first years of the governmentﾒs present term.
Others still are watching to see whether Bain and Grants Town MP Bradley Roberts, who had said he would step down midway through the term, but later changed his mind, will seek to run again. (Mr. Roberts had explained that the prime minister had invited him to stay on.)
There are some sitting members of parliament who have already announced that they will not run in the next general election.
Independent MP Pierre Dupuch plans to retire after serving as a parliamentarian for almost 25 years. He serves now as the MP for St. Margaret, and was formerly the MP for the Shirlea constituency.
Free National Movement MPs Lindy Russell and Robert Sweeting have also announced plans not to run again.
Mr. Russell serves as the representative for Eight Mile Rock. Mr. Sweeting has been the MP for South Abaco since the 1992 general election when the FNM assumed office.
The South Abaco Constituency Association of the FNM recently endorsed former PLP Senator Edison Key as its candidate for the next general election.
The move still has to be ratified by the candidates committee and the partyﾒs central council.
Mr. Ingraham had said earlier in the year that he would have started naming candidates by May, but has not yet named any of the partyﾒs candidates. Party Chairman Desmond Bannister later explained that the FNM could not name candidates because the Constituencies Commission had not yet been appointed.
The prime minister announced plans last week to immediately invite the governor general to appoint the commission, a sure sign that elections are fast approaching.
The commission, also known as the Boundaries Commission, will examine the existing 40 constituencies to determine whether they should remain or be altered.
House Speaker Oswald Ingraham will chair the commission. A justice of the Supreme Court will be appointed as deputy chair.
The governor general will also appoint two members to the commission on the advice of the prime minister, and one on the advice of the leader of the Official Opposition.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
