Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts called for the resignation of Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis, after charging that the leader has failed to protect economic interests and the country’s sovereignty.

These sentiments came amidst the controversy of the recent Baha Mar deal announced by Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Last week, after the prime minister announced the government had struck a deal to remobilize the multi-billion dollar resort which remained stagnant for more than a year, many critics questioned the deal; especially due to the fact that the prime minister did not divulge the details behind it.

Dr. Minnis being one of those vocal critics asserted that the government secured a secret deal that goes against the interest of Bahamians; and purported that the prime minister’s announcement was “dictatorial”.

One of the grounds Dr. Minnis suggested the deal was based on was the granting of hundreds of Bahamian citizenships.

Meanwhile Mr. Roberts, disgusted at Dr. Minnis’ sentiments, said that the FNM leader is seeking to change the subject to deflect from “the masterful and competent leadership of Mr. Christie” and his (Dr. Minnis) haplessness.

“Throughout this process, Dr. Hubert Minnis and the FNM have sought to use Baha Mar as some kind of referendum of sorts on Mr. Christie’s leadership and fitness to remain as Prime Minister after the 2017 general elections and by doing so, the FNM betted against the Bahamian people and lost; they lost badly,” Mr. Roberts said.

Mr. Roberts also pointed to the fact that Dr. Minnis advocated for the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process which the resort’s developer Sarkis Izmirlian filed for last June in a US court.

The PLP chairman suggested that this is another reason why Dr. Minnis is not fit for leadership; charging that he does not have the well being of workers at heart.

“The record clearly shows that you Dr. Minnis together with your deputy and the member for Long Island, the bopsy triplets, all agreed that Baha Mar should have been allowed to go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware and for The Bahamas Supreme Court to subjugate itself to a foreign legal jurisdiction, effectively giving up its independence. Further, you accused the Christie administration of ‘interfering’ with Baha Mar’s bankruptcy proceedings,” he said.

“Minnis did so knowing full well that a successful chapter 11 Bankruptcy would make null and void all of the contracts, agreements and financial commitments Baha Mar had with its employees, the government of the Bahamas and other private contractors and service providers and that they would end up with little or nothing at the end of the chapter 11 process. Local creditors would have been faced with expensive legal costs to pursue justice in a foreign legal jurisdiction. That is the record of the FNM in handling this crisis,” continued Mr. Roberts.

Meanwhile, while Mr. Roberts called Dr. Minnis’ intent, “selfish, pure deflection and political bluster”, the PLP chairman applauded the prime minister for his “unwavering spirit in the face of adversity, lies and sleazy personal attacks”.

Putting everything into perspective, Mr. Roberts said that Dr. Minnis owes Mr. Christie and the Bahamian people an apology.

“Now that the caring PLP has secured guaranteed payments to public corporations (yes Dr. Minnis including BEC BTC W&S CABLE BAH), severed employees and displaced contractors, the FNM is now pretending to care about the details by inserting a dishonest narrative about a secret government deal. Minnis, Turnquest and Butler Turner, The writers of Nasty Editorials needs to come clean and first apologize to Mr. Christie for the lies they told about him (with all that drunken talk about being delusional and selling empty promises, misleading the Bahamian people and lacking credibility,” Mr. Roberts said.

“Additionally, Minnis must apologize to the Bahamian people for failing to protect their economic interests and the sovereignty of this country. His proposed handling of the Baha Mar bankruptcy was a leadership test that he failed miserably and proved his unfitness to lead or govern. Minnis simply makes terrible decisions,” he said.

Last October the resort laid off approximately 2,000 employees after construction came to a halt in June.

Just last week the prime minister said that all outstanding payments owed to the unsecured Bahamian contractors and service providers will be paid out, in addition to the full severance package owed to the more than 2,000 workers.

Mr. Christie also said that the details surrounding the Baha Mar deal will eventually be revealed.