A survey quietly commissioned by the leadership of the Progressive Liberal Party, in the wake of a disappointing loss at the polls on May 2, 2007, reveals that 57 percent of respondents cited former Prime Minister Perry Christie's perceived 'weak leadership' as the reason they decided not to vote PLP.

The 'weak leadership' issue was widely discussed before and after the election campaign, with Free National Movement Leader Hubert Ingraham stating repeatedly that the 2007 election was about leadership.

The survey, completed by international research group Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, says the alleged scandals that plagued the PLP leading up to the vote took their toll.

"The principal reason people did not vote for the PLP was because of Christie's image as being weak and indecisive," the survey says.

Forty-seven percent of respondents said they did not vote PLP because of corruption and scandals, and 19 percent pointed specifically to the issue involving former Immigration Minister Shane Gibson and the late American celebrity Anna Nicole Smith (respondents were allowed to select the two factors they thought were the most important for deciding not to vote PLP).

The survey says the corruption issue contributed to the perception of Christie as a weak leader.

"Voters perceived that he was unwilling to take action against advisers or Cabinet officials accused of wrongdoing, an impression that was reinforced by the delay over Shane Gibson's resignation," Greenberg found.

The Shane Gibson/Anna Nicole Smith controversy was another key issue that Ingraham, now prime minister, highlighted on the campaign trail, repeatedly pointing to it as an example of scandals that plagued the then governing party.

Another of Ingraham's key issues was the sale of Bahamian land to foreigners. At a Clifford Park rally on April 30, 2007 he accused the Christie administration of "giving away tens of thousands of acres of Crown Land and prime beaches; signing secret agreements which often end up harming our national interests; bouncing around from one sleazy scandal to the next; and ignoring rising levels of violence on the streets and in the Cabinet Room."

Eighteen percent of respondents to the survey said they did not vote for the party because the Christie administration sold too much land to foreigners.

Thirteen percent of respondents said the party failed to reduce crime.

Up to now, this report had been closely guarded. The Guardian understands that most senior PLP officials have not seen it, even though it is dated June 19, 2007.

The report notes, "The party obtained five points less than it did in 2002, even though most people thought they were better off than they were five years ago. As the PLP looks to regain its primacy and effectively use its parliamentary bloc, it needs to understand what accounted for its adverse performance this year (2007).

"It would be a mistake to blame the election result on the FNM having larger rallies, campaign caravans of supporters or even outspending the PLP."

The report contradicts what Christie listed as a key reason why his party lost the 2007 election. He indicated at a post election press conference last year that the PLP was defeated partly because it was outspent.

"They (the FNM) were obviously incredibly well-funded and I don't want to speak at this time to the manner in which monies were spent," he said at the time. Christie also said then that a Bahamian record was set in the amount of money used in the election campaign by the FNM.

But the report says the impact of money on last year's election is at best a partial explanation.

"Both sides in Bahamian politics have always tried to entice supporters and wavering voters with material incentives," it adds. "Significant across-the-board shifts, as occurred this year (2007), owe to more fundamental factors. These fundamentals must be aggressively and systematically addressed for the PLP to effectively rebuild itself."

The report speaks to "fundamental challenges" the Progressive Liberal Party faces and outlines a plan to reshape the organization.

The research group that conducted the survey is a global leader in public opinion and strategic consulting with offices in Washington, DC; California and London.

"Greenberg Quinlan Rosner is the world's leading polling and strategic consulting firm for international political campaigns and leaders, helping progressive candidates around the world campaign, win, and govern," the group says on its website.

It has done research for the campaigns of former US President Bill Clinton; former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; and South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, among other world leaders.

The Nassau Guardian understands that the researchers did pre- and post-election work for the Progressive Liberal Party, and spoke to more than 1,200 people for their research. They reportedly engaged focus groups and surveyed voters in New Providence, Grand Bahama and several Family Islands.

Tomorrow, The Nassau Guardian will reveal the recommendations the Greenberg report makes on how the PLP can reform itself and reposition itself to retake the government of The Bahamas.

By CANDIA DAMES