Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Darron Cash accused Prime Minister Perry Christie of “waffling” and hiding information about the government’s negotiations with Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) to regain the majority shares in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC).
Cash said Christie appeared to be “in denial” over the fate of his administration’s plan to take control of BTC.
“He continues in his dogged determination to convince the Bahamian people that the BTC two percent buy-back gig is not up,” Cash said in a statement.
“A right-thinking observer is forced to conclude that the prime minister is either delusional or intentionally insulting the intelligence of his Bahamian people.”
Cash referenced an article in The Tribune, published on Monday, which reported that CWC CEO Tony Rice is not anticipating an extension to BTC’s monopoly and that the company is readying itself for competition next year.
On Monday, Christie said he read Rice’s comments in the press. He also said that negotiations with CWC were complete, but he was awaiting a final response from the company on the matter.
“How is it that Mr. Rice is able to state almost unequivocally that no extension is to be gotten and he expects competition, when the prime minister and minister of finance is trying to tell us that he is still waiting for an answer?” Cash asked.
“. . .The PM’s waffling comments demonstrate that he has been caught once again hiding information in order to avoid embarrassment. He can take comfort that most keen observers already knew that this is exactly how this song and dance would end.”
