NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – Prime Minister Perry Christie has dismissed allegations of blasphemy regarding a statement he allegedly made last weekend that only “God can stop the PLP from winning” the May 10 general election.

Both the main opposition Free National Movement (FNM) and the smaller opposition Democratic National Alliance (DNA) have called on the leader of the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) to apologize for his public display of blasphemy.But as he addressed the tower installation ceremony at state-owned ZNS on Monday, Christie said that not only does he believe in God, but acknowledges the fact that it is through faith he will be able to see his dead mother again.“Like you I believe in God. I believe in the omnificence and the omnipresence of God.I believe that is true. The framers of our Constitution tried to enshrine the basis of Christian spirit to make us connected,” he told the audience.Insisting that he is a believer in God, Prime Minister Christie said “I just want to be able to say, I have chosen to speak to the issue of truth because I understand so clearly that the only way, the only I may be able to see my mummy again is through faith and through an enduring faith”.In his address, Christie gave his account that led to his statement over the weekend, saying that the microphone had malfunctioned. “I tapped it, bam, bam, bam and said God you can’t do this to me. I’m in full flow making a speech and it looked like I had a power failure.“And somebody dares to question my faith, saying I believe I am God Almighty or mightier than God. What they don’t understand is that we had the religious leaders therein that audience … and all of them heard me,” he said, reminding the audience that he quotes extensively from the Bible when making speeches of late.“How can you ever believe that someone with my experience, with people who are church leaders in my family, who I have said in the national Parliament when I make a mistake that I owe to them an apology because I have always guided my life by making them proud of me,” he said. The DNA said the country had watched “in utter disbelief, as the Prime Minister’s arrogance, and outright disdain for all things spiritual has ballooned to match the incompetence of his administration.“As a nation founded on Christian principles, the Prime Minister’s comments are indicative of the lack of deference which he and other members of his government give to the Almighty,” the DNA said. All three parties are campaigning for control of the 41 seat Parliament.