With immediate effect, former Prime Minister Perry Christie resigned as leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) yesterday evening.

During a special call meeting of the National General Council of the Progressive Liberal Party at the Sir Lynden Pindling Centre, Christie gave an address where he relinquished the position he was elected for during the party’s convention a few months ago.

“I accept full responsibility for our party’s defeat in the general election of May 10, 2017. I also accept, without reservation, that the best traditions of our democracy, no less the impulses of my own conscience and value-system, dictate that I resign as the leader of our party,” Christie told the crowd of PLP supporters.

“This is the correct and only thing for me to do from both a political and moral perspective.”

Christie also noted that his political season has come to an end and it is time for him to move on.

“I wish to God that I could have helped more, but God knows that for all my faults and failings as a leader and as a man, I tried my best to do the best that I could do for the Bahamian people, my people, the best people in whole wide world,” Christie said.

“It is therefore with deepest love and undying gratitude that I say to you once more, thank you so much for everything that you have done for me and for our party all through our many years together. I pledge my support for our party and for its future leadership. I make this pledge without equivocation.”

As a result of Christie’s resignation, the PLP is now faced with the task of officially choosing a new leader, who can possibly be one of the elected members, Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, Glenys Hanna-Martin, Chester Cooper or Picewell Forbes.

The Bahama Journal spoke with the party’s Deputy Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis yesterday who said according to the PLP’s constitution, the deputy leader assumes the position of party leader when the leader is absent.

Davis added that he will consider a formal meeting concerning the party’s leadership and future.

However, he said his main focus right now is to get the party ready for the opening of parliament.

During last Wednesday’s general election, the PLP was repudiated and it is the first time in Bahamian history that a sitting prime minister was not elected to the House of Assembly.

Christie was defeated in the Centreville constituency by Reece Chipman of the Free National Movement (FNM). Christie received 1,905 votes and Chipman received 1,909 votes.

Since last week’s election, Christie has been receiving calls and speaking with scores of well-wishers and defeated PLP candidates.

As reportedly promised, he gave a statement following the election, where he gave an account of his stewardship and took full responsibility for the defeat and his party.

Bradley Roberts, PLP chairman, also gave a statement after the party’s defeat last week, indicating that he was shocked by the results and work needs to be done to restructure the organization.

“They (voters) spoke loud and clear. The voice of the people is the voice of God. We believe this and humbly accept this. The PLP will have to go in a mode of rebuilding. We will have to review this matter obviously because this was unexpected and it caught me by complete surprise, but as I said, the voice of people is the voice of God,” Roberts explained.

However, many political observers suggested that Christie did not answer wide criticisms from the FNM of corruption in his government, but instead focused on the achievements of his government over the past five years.

Christie was elected as leader of the PLP following the retirement of the country’s first Prime Minister the late Sir Lynden Pindling.

Christie led the party to his first victory in the 2002 general election. His government lost power in 2007 and was reelected to office in 2012.

Among the achievements of the last administration was the introduction of National Health Insurance (NHI), the establishment of the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), the renegotiation of the Baha Mar deal and the opening of the resort, and the introduction of value-added tax (VAT) to increase government revenue and reduce deficit financing.

The former prime minister explained that NHI still has a long way to go, but his government has put in place the essential parts of a functioning system that would help poor struggling Bahamians from dying simply because they have no health insurance.

Christie also expressed that he is proud of the award-winning Urban Renewal Programme that has been replicated in many countries around the world.

Christie is the third prime minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.