Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday responded to assertions made by Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins that the Letter of Intent matter concerning Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells is caught up in a power struggle for leadership of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

Mr. Davis called these assertions serious and baseless and he reaffirmed his support of the current leader Prime Minister Perry Christie.

“We have but one leader,” Mr. Davis said in the House of Assembly. “I fully support but one leader. That leader is the Member for Centreville. The finger will point only in one direction if the truth is asked about who questions and seeks to undermine the present leadership. Disagreeing in viewpoints is the circumstance of a democracy. However, respect must issue from both sides.

There is no reasonable point in fanning the flames of controversy on a team. We go back to the example of the goose and recognize the wounded one. This team stands ready to stay with him, nurse him back to full health and assist his flying once again.”

During his contribution to debate on the Public Beaches and Parks Authority Bill Wednesday, Dr. Rollins again defended his parliamentary colleague and friend Mr. Wells, who as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Public Works has come under fire for his unauthorise signing of a $650 million Letter of Intent with a waste to energy company.

While Dr. Rollins never outright identified Mr. Wells by name, his comments suggested that his remarks were in defence of the embattled MP.

“While I said that I knew not of any corrupt motives associated with the entire Stella Waste to Energy matter, I say this now, I believe that my good friend that I came into politics with – I believe that he is being caught in the midst of a leadership struggle, Dr. Rollins said. “He is being used as a pawn because there are those who do in fact want to take the leadership away from the honourable member from Centreville.”
Dr. Rollins has repeatedly gone on the attack against the PLP and has roundly criticised the performance of Mr. Christie.
Last Thursday, the PLP’s National General Council (NGC) demanded that Dr. Rollins apologise to the prime minister, however, the Fort Charlotte MP has refused to comply with that demand.
The NGC has also decided to refer the matter of bringing disciplinary action against him to a four-man committee.