Prime Minister Perry Christie

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday sent a strong message to sidelined Free National Movement MPs Richard Lightbourn and Hubert Chipman to “resist with all your might” any attempt by the party’s leadership to end their careers.

Mr. Christie told the MPs, both of whom have not been offered a renomination, that no one person should be able to dictate whether their political careers were finished, adding that the decision should come from the electorate.

He also accused Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis of keeping the pair in the dark on nonpartisan hurricane relief efforts organised for their constituencies, a move he attributed to Dr. Minnis’ political agenda during his closing remarks in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Mr. Chipman represents St. Anne’s and Mr. Lightbourn represents Montagu.

Mr. Christie said: “The intention was to put you in the position where your constituents would have seen you delivering supplies, information, doing all the things you should do. The intention was to strengthen the delivery of services in this country.

“I directed NEMA, based on personal experience, that every member of the Parliament should have a new team assembled, a multifaceted, multidisciplinary team assembled, and to call the leader of the Opposition and advise.

“[Minnis] had three and he didn’t tell his members. Now I understand there’s infamy here in the ranks, clearly he did not count the member for Montagu and he did not count the member for St. Anne’s.”

Mr. Christie added: “When we said that we wanted to establish the teams, it was a nonpolitical decision to be able to empower the member of Parliament to lead the way, to be able to bring quick relief, and to move out of any thought of political manoeuvring because the MP would have the carriage of what is happening in there.

“Much to my surprise, I’m in here having to listen to members tell me they didn’t know, that’s not fair to the government, not fair to the process, that is wrong,” Mr. Christie added.

Standing on a point of order yesterday, Dr. Minnis said he immediately called persons responsible to ensure that constituency association chairmans sent the relevant individuals. The Killarney MP said that he was informed that his instructions were carried out, and as such, did not know why the information did not get out to the respective MPs.

Yesterday, Mr. Christie said: “Leadership is required here. I have not been to Centreville because I thought it important to go every other place with my colleagues in their constituency. I then thought when I was out there watching two social workers come out with a couple pieces of tarp, that we have to do better, a more organised approach.

“Let us empower the leader of the Opposition to put his colleagues in the position to do it. But I am not surprised when I think of it. The leader [Dr. Minnis] has other plans for St. Anne’s and Montagu.

“I have been in that position before in my life,” he said.

“Resist with all your might,” he urged the opposition MPs. “No one ought to be able to arrogate unto themselves when your career is finished. The people must do that.”

Mr. Chipman and Mr. Lightbourn are among six FNM MPs who threatened to have Governor General Dame Marguerite remove Dr. Minnis as leader of the Official Opposition if the party did not set an early convention date.

They - along with Loretta Butler-Turner, Neko Grant, Theo Neilly and Dr. Andre Rollins - also wrote a memo to the party’s Central Council earlier this year outlining Dr. Minnis’ weaknesses and failures as a leader.

By Ava Turnquest, Tribune Chief Reporter

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