At first dem say 2 weeks. Den anedda one

[Assasin]

it is embarrassing to say the least the different message that Peter has been sending out on the IMF. He could have done much better and at least stick to one theme.

This kind of double talk and retraction bread uncertainty in the business coumunity and show lack of control, I would go with Bunting as well.

[Don1]

True but...

The signal a Bunting would send tends to be more serious. Him nah stick around if him dont get PM and Cabinet backative...

Well if Bunting got the FM job and did not get support from all stakeholders on the reforms ..he may have ended up like Hugh Small... resigning on a matter of principle....but I doubt it...word is the guy wants to be PM one day...resigning in the heat of a crisis would doom him to obscurity

Consider:

Phillips got 99% take-up by the private sector big bondholders on the NDX haircut

80%+ buy-in from Civil Service on their wage restrictions

The IMF they claim has all it needs to complete the agreement


So based on the numbers there is no credibility issue with Phillips from those groups...private sector, public sector and IMF. For me the huge issue is the time it took...this should have been a wrap from last summer. That it wasn't done from earlier is more a PNP problem of lack of urgency that a Phillips problem of incompetence.

Recall that the JLP dithered without an IMF agreement in force for almost 2 years....after they had borrowed ~US$5 billion and increased the national debt ~40%

As far as PNP politricks goes Phillips is the 2nd most powerful figure....with nuff delegates in his corner...so he's impossible to ignore as a political force. To get PSM and her Cabinet to agree to and actively support demand suppression policies that would hurt the poor she claims to love...that would not be easy

Neither Bunting (who barely won his seat) nor Golding have the political standing imho to do a better job than Phillips on the political side

...and as far as the technical/financial issues go...the Termites retained the same team from the Bruised Gelding era