Leader of the main opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Perry Christie, says he has instructed his lawyers to file a legal suit against un-named persons after claiming that a television advertisement distorts his position regarding the exploration for oil in The Bahamas.

The announcement by Christie, a former prime minister, also comes less than a week after Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham called on him to state exactly his role as a paid consultant to a foreign company seeking to explore for oil in Bahamian territorial waters.

In a statement released here on Sunday night, Christie said that the ruling Free National Movement (FNM) is 'in a state of panic' ahead of the May 7 general elections. He said that Prime Minister Ingraham and the FNM had released a 'last-minute television ad filled with last-minute lies about oil drilling and about me'.

"It is defamatory and I have instructed my attorneys to file suit against those who are responsible," he said insisting "There will be no oil drilling in The Bahamas under a PLP government unless there is public support for such a step.

It will not be a matter of only persuading my government or only persuading the top safety and environmental experts ‹ oil drilling will only happen if the people of The Bahamas want it to happen.

We are on the record in support of a national referendum." Ingraham reminded supporters that his administration has made it clear both in and out of Parliament that it would not agree "To any drilling for oil in The Bahamas until all necessary and appropriate regulations are in place and until we are fully and competently in a position to regulate such activity so as to protect our environment...."