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Volume: 112 No.167
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A LIFE OF SERVICE SEE WOMAN SECTION
PM: Sears bid is no problem Christie is not threatened by leadership test By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Perry Christie said he does not feel threatened by former Attorney General Alfred Sears’ bid to challenge him for the leadership of the Progressive Liberal Party, despite rumblings within the organisation that young supporters and Bahamians want a new direction. “It’s not a problem,” Mr Christie exclusively told The Tribune yesterday following the morning sitting of the House of Assembly when he was questioned regarding Mr Sears’ intention to bring to an end to
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts said the PLP’s leadership race would not be “nasty like the FNM’s” because both Prime Minister Perry Christie and former Attorney General Alfred Sears are “intellectuals” and “professionals”. In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Roberts said as far as he knew Mr Sears was “contemplating” running for leader of the PLP
By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net FOX Hill MP Fred Mitchell railed against Justice Indra Charles’ Supreme Court ruling on parliamentary privilege in the House of Assembly last night, suggesting that it was outrageous that parliamentarians could not respond to “rich foreigners” funneling millions of dollars into a law firm “to get a judge” to “agree” with their arguments. SEE PAGE FIVE
A SPACEMAN CAME TRAVELLING
his nearly 20-year run at the helm of the governing party. Mr Christie was first elected as leader of the PLP in 1997. “There is no problem at all,” Mr Christie added. “We are a wonderful party, a big tent with strong traditions of democratic functions. All is well.” Pressed further, Mr Christie suggested that he was not concerned about a leadership race at the PLP convention, saying the rules of the party will take precedence over everything else. The event is expected to take place in November. SEE PAGE SIX
ROBERTS: PLP RACE WILL NOT BE NASTY LIKE FNM’S By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net
MITCHELL SLAMS JUSTICE’S RULING ON PRIVILEGE IN PARLIAMENT
and had not made a “definitive decision”. However, he said the party is “democratic” and Mr Sears has the right to run for “whatever position” he wishes. On Sunday, Mr Sears announced his intention to challenge Mr Christie for leadership of the PLP at the governing party’s national convention in November. Mr Sears is the first to make such an intention known, ensuring that Mr Christie will face the first challenge to his post since SEE PAGE SIX
ASTRONAUT Scott Kelly with tourism minister Obie Wilchcombe at Graycliff restaurant in Nassau on Sunday. See page two for more on the astronaut’s visit to The Bahamas - which he described during his time on the International Space Station as “the most beautiful place from space”. Photo: Kemuel Stubbs/BIS
WELLS NAMED LEADER OF OPPOSITION BUSINESS By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells @tribunemedia.net
BAMBOO Town MP Renward Wells has been appointed leader of opposition business in the House of Assembly, replacing Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant who resigned from the post last week in the aftermath of the Free National Movement’s divisive convention. House Speaker Dr Kendal Major made the announcement in Parliament yesterday morning.
When asked about the appointment, Opposition Leader Dr Hubert Minnis and Deputy Leader K Peter Turnquest said the move was made following internal party consultation and in the best interest of the FNM. While Dr Minnis refused to go into detail on the scope of those internal discussions when asked by The Tribune, Mr Turnquest said the party considered all of its options to replace Mr Grant and concluded that Mr Wells would best serve the party
in the capacity. “He is a bright young man who has a future in our party and in politics and he’s certainly capable of handling this assignment,” Mr Turnquest said. The party did not have many options to fill the post. Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner was first offered the position as a way to soothe tension after her very public spat with the party’s leadership team, but she rejected the offer. SEE PAGE SIX
BUTLER-TURNER ‘WILL LOSE LONG ISLAND’ FOR FNM By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net FORMER Cabinet minister Tennyson Wells said yesterday that the Free National Movement “will lose” the Long Island seat
in the 2017 general election if it presents area MP Loretta Butler-Turner as its candidate, as many supporters have been angered by her recent actions. Mrs Butler-Turner strongly criticised FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis in the
lead up to and after the party’s contentious convention in late July. Dr Minnis has said Mrs Butler-Turner has his “full support” to be the party’s standard-bearer for Long Island once again.
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SEE PAGE FIVE
$2,000 REWARD IN HUNT FOR BAHAMIAN’S KILLER IN US
By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net AUTHORITIES in Atlanta, Georgia, offered a $2,000 reward yesterday for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for fatally shooting a 24-year-old Bahamian mother in the head last Thursday. According to Fox News 5, Atlanta SHANNA Smith police still have very little information about Shanna Smith’s death. Smith was shot at least twice in the head while driving a dark green BMW near Hadlock Street and SEE PAGE THREE