Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts said yesterday that Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis will not challenge Prime Minister Perry Christie for leadership of the party.

"My understanding is he is not running. He is not challenging Mr. Christie,” Roberts told The Guardian. He added, “I am saying that with certainty.”

Roberts said Christie and Davis are like a “husband and wife” who have a strong bond.

“Mr. Christie and Mr. Davis have been colleagues for many, many years,” he added.

“There is a strong bond and relationship between the two of them.

“They have made considerable progress together as a team. They work well together. It’s like a husband and wife situation.

“In other words, it is a sustained relationship. I am comparing it to a longstanding relationship.”

Davis and Christie are former law partners. Roberts said it is healthy for the party that Davis does not challenge the leader. The Guardian was unable to reach Davis for comment, despite leaving several messages for him. Davis has remained quiet on the issue in recent weeks. Roberts has said that he recently advised Davis that it is not “the right time” to challenge Christie.

There has been much speculation over whether Davis will challenge Christie. In June, Davis told The Nassau Guardian he is “ready for the job” of prime minister, but he said he would only run for leader if the prime minister decides to retire.

On September 16, he declined to say whether he intends to run for leader. A day later, Christie declared in North Andros that he will run again for leader. Christie later said he hopes Davis and other Cabinet ministers with leadership aspirations recognize that challenging him is “not the most appropriate course of action to take at this stage in our country”.

Referring to Davis, Christie said, “One, he is my deputy prime minister and has not given me any notice of his intention to do so.

“Secondly, he is a long, long, long personal friend and a person who has given me unstinting support.

“There is a third element. The confidence I reposed in him enabled me to give him a very significant portfolio of responsibility as a minister.

“I am hoping that, that in and of itself will lend for Mr. Davis and any other Cabinet minister [to recognize] that it is not the most appropriate course of action to take at this stage in our country — to have a leadership race in this form.”

But several senior PLP members have supported Davis, including Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller and former MP Philip Galanis.

The PLP convention starts November 1.

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