United States Department of State insiders personally expressed grief that the PLP had won the Bahamas election, although officially, the U.S. Embassy congratulated Prime Minister Perry Christie in a short but sweet press release.
“I can not say that anyone is happy that the Bahamas government is now being controlled by a drug lawyer,” said one official, insisting on anonymity and speaking off-the-record.
The reference was to Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, who was, and apparently still is, the lawyer for convicted drug kingpin, Samuel ‘Ninety’ Knowles, who is serving a lengthy jail term in the United States on drug charges. It is not known how Mr Davis’s firm will handle his many criminal clients now that he will be made Deputy Prime Minister.
Officially, this is what the U.S. had to say:
We congratulate Prime Minister The Right Honorable Perry G. Christie of the Progressive Liberal Party. The people of The Bahamas have once again demonstrated their commitment to democratic values that the United States and The Bahamas share. This expression of the will of the Bahamian people in free, fair, and transparent elections reaffirms The Bahamas’ status as a model of good governance not only in the region, but in the world.
The United States and The Bahamas share a lasting friendship based upon strong economic, cultural, and historic ties that bind our nations. This friendship is further strengthened by our shared commitment to promoting democracy, economic prosperity, and security around the globe.
We look forward to working with Prime Minister The Right Honorable Perry G. Christie as we continue to strengthen our partnership and advance common goals for both our nations.
