The opposition’s call for Prime Minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis to apologize to Bahamians for what they call ‘deceitfulness’, regarding his former stance on Baha Mar will not be satisfied, according to Press Secretary, Anthony Newbold.

During the weekly press briefing, Mr. Newbold, responding to whether or not Dr. Minnis had any comments on the criticism from both the Leader of the Opposition, Philip Davis, and the former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts that his stance has shifted and that he should apologize, was met with an emphatic ‘absolutely not’.

“Absolutely not, there is no need for the Prime Minister to apologize.

“He’s never shifted his position on wanting Baha Mar to open and provide jobs for the Bahamian people.

“He always said that  so much of the assets of the Bahamian people are invested in this project, ‘you better open this hotel  so that Bahamians can benefit’, and that is what is happening.

“The hotels are opening;  SLS just last week and Rosewood early next year. And we get those people working.  That is what the  Prime Minister is interested in,” Mr. Newbold stated.

During campaigning before the May 10th General Election and while the leader of the opposition, Dr. Minnis lambasted the Progressive Liberal Party when Baha Mar had its soft opening a month prior to elections.

Dr. Minnis called the April opening of Baha Mar ‘fake’ at the time and called on the Christie administration to be “transparent” in the “dealings of the resort”. .

Mr. Newbold says, “he wants all of those hotels open. When those hotels open, he will be very happy.

“He wants the hotels to open and for any number of reasons that have been positive.

“He does not intend to apologize to anyone nor feels he should be apologizing to anyone for wanting the assets of the Bahamian people to benefit the people,” Mr. Newbold said.

In a recent statement reflecting on the official opening of the SLS hotel, Mr. Roberts said that Dr. Minnis should be grateful to the Christie administration and that he should come clean with Bahamians and admit that he and the FNM were all wrong and dishonest on Baha Mar, while the PLP was right and truthful about the resort.

“Minnis  should express his gratitude to the thousands of current Baha Mar employees. He should apologize to the Bahamian people for his deceitfulness and in the interest of decency, order and good governance. He should keep  Dionisio  D’Aguilar as far away from Baha Mar as the east is from the west,” Mr. Roberts said.