The Candidates Committee of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is set today to consider whether former Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe should be on the party’s ticket for the upcoming general election, given the fallout some insiders believe they might face in their efforts to convince the electorate that the party is reformed and rebranded.
Wilchcombe, who had a close, personal relationship with former Prime Minister Perry Christie, and who was one of those PLPs enthusiastic about Christie’s decision to stay on in 2017, overwhelmingly won the approval of the West Grand Bahama branches yesterday, making it harder for the party’s leadership and the committee to reject him as a candidate.
Wichcombe reported that he received 154 of the votes; Ginger Moxey received five; Paco Deal got four; Kingsley Smith got four and Lewis Astwood received no votes.
PLP Leader Philip Brave Davis told The Nassau Guardian last night he was not surprised that Wilchcombe won strong support among the branches.
Asked how highly the wishes of the branches are considered in deciding who is nominated, Davis said, “The recommendations of the branch, the Candidates Committee will decide how much weight will be placed on it, and a number of factors will be taken into account. First of all, the candidate himself; there was an interview process by the Candidates Committee, and how impressive they were otherwise.”
In 2017, Wilchcombe lost the West Grand Bahama and Bimini seat to the Free National Movement’s Pakesia Parker-Edgecome by 263 votes.
Speaking after the runoff yesterday, the former minister said his victory with the branches speaks to “relationships in the constituency”.
Wilchcombe said, “I’ve been in the constituency; many still have confidence. Last election, I didn’t lose Grand Bahama. I lost Bimini. I lost polling division number 11 in Bimini, substantially, but I won Grand Bahama. When we left Grand Bahama on election night, I was leading. When we got to polling division number 11 in Bimini [I lost].”
Parker-Edgecombe received 359 votes in that polling division and Wilchcombe received 162 — a difference of 197 votes.
Wilchcombe said many of the voters were new residents who moved to Bimini to work at Resorts World Bimini. He said, that because he was heavily involved in resolving issues related to Baha Mar, he did not have time to meet with many of those new residents so they could get to know him.
Asked if he is confident that he will receive the nomination, Wilchcombe pointed out that Bimini branch runoffs are set for this week.
“So, I am confident if we follow the democratic process and we believe that the voice of the people speaks loudly, then yes; otherwise, what’s the purpose of all that we have been doing?” he questioned.
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