When George W. Bush handed over the presidency of the United States in January 2009, that country was facing multiple crises. His administration was in the midst of a financial crisis that could have led to a depression; America was fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush's two terms were up. By law, American presidents can serve no more. Bush handed over to the new president, Barack Obama, and he wished him well facing the challenges of that office.
In January 2017, Obama will do the same. He will have projects still in process, deals he began that he will not be able to conclude. Obama will leave, though, knowing he did his best in the time allotted to him.
Perry Christie, 72, wants to stay on as leader of the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). He has led the PLP for 18 years. He has been prime minister for eight years over two non-consecutive terms. Many assumed that Christie would not run again. He has been in frontline politics for more than 40 years. Yet, he says he wants to stay on and complete his legacy. He cites projects such as Baha Mar and the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) as things he started that he wants to see finished before he leaves public life.
All leaders leave matters on the table when they leave office. It is nonsense to base your desire to stay on things that are unfinished. If Christie wants to remain PLP leader and prime minister because he loves power, then he should just say so.
The Bahamas is more than Perry Christie, though. He is not the only individual capable of governing these islands. Others can successfully take up leadership and steer The Bahamas in another direction. In fact, consensus would probably have it that Christie is the worst of our three prime ministers. The Bahamas does not need him to stick around to finish anything. We'd be better off if he left and we moved on and another more capable person rose to lead his party.
Christie's age is not why he should go. He is an exhausted man. He has no more ideas for The Bahamas. He falls asleep in public frequently. Obama does not do that. David Cameron in the United Kingdom does not do that. Stephen Harper in Canada does not do that.
This term in office Christie has failed to bring jobs. Unemployment remains high. There will be a murder record based on the pace of killings. There was no mortgage relief, despite promises.
What is Christie staying on to do? He has done very little this term. He wants another term to accomplish more nothing? Ego and the desire for power are all that are behind Christie's desire to keep being PLP leader and prime minister. He should acknowledge this publicly and move on from the charades.
Christie loves the police sirens when they escort him. He loves watching the officers salute him. He loves exercising the powers of the Office of the Prime Minister. They are the reasons why he is staying. They are why he may never voluntarily leave the PLP's top job.
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