Just days after Prime Minister Perry Christie expressed regret in allowing Bahamians to vote in a gaming referendum Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis demanded that a general election be held so that Bahamians can elect a new government.

Dr. Minnis, who heads the Free National Movement (FNM) said if the prime minister has the ability to change his mind on the regularisation and taxation of web shops, then it’s only fair for Bahamians to be able to vote in a new government.

Prime Minister Perry Christie recently said that he is considering taxing the web shops, despite the resounding “no” vote at last year’s gaming referendum.

His statement angered many church leaders who have already criticised the nation’s chief for not shutting down all web shops after Bahamians overwhelmingly rejected the offer to regularise the illegal web shop industry.

Dr. Minnis says the only way for the prime minister to fix the situation is to allow Bahamians to vote in another government.

“The prime minister, just as anyone else, has the right to change his mind, but the people should be given that right also,” he said yesterday during a news conference.

“Just as he regretted the referendum, they, too, regret voting for him and his government. Therefore, he should go back to the people with a new mandate so that they, like him, can be given the opportunity to change their mind. Their change may just well be to remove him and the Progressive Liberal Party as the government.”

Dr. Minnis said Bahamians, especially the church, have been taken for a ride.

He said it is sad that the prime minister’s inability to make a decision came at such a high cost.

Late last year, Mr. Christie acknowledged that the total cost of the referendum was around $1 million, which included bringing in South African consultants.

Dr. Minnis said it is all a clear demonstration of the prime minister’s inability to lead through decision making.

“As a leader you must be able to make difficult decisions,” he said.

“But you must also be able to defend the decisions you make. He has demonstrated categorically that he is not a leader. A leader would have lived by what he had said. Changing his mind is all right. But give the Bahamian people the chance to change their mind as well. From what we hear on the streets, the people regret putting him in.”

Shortly after the January 28 referendum, Prime Minister Christie put out an order that all web shops be shut down.

However, that order was superseded by a ruling from the Supreme Court.