A hug from a supporter for FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis.
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement Central Council members voted overwhelmingly in support of a national convention last night as the party struggles to clamp down on the “appearance of disharmony”.
Senator Carl Bethel told The Tribune that the November 21 convention was a deliberate political decision to address the cries within the party for public unity.
Mr Bethel, former party chairman and personal advisor to FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, said the leaked letter sent to Dr Minnis by Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner was “unfortunate”.
“Let us assume she [Mrs Butler-Turner] didn’t retract it [letter],” Mr Bethel said.
“Let me say that the hope of FNMs as expressed at the last council meeting was for public unity, even if there’s private jostling, even if there’s private ambition, to retain public unity. If that (letter) came from where it came from, that letter that was in the press (yesterday), that is unfortunate.”
The council met for less than two hours last night.
Mrs Butler-Turner did not answer questions following the packed meeting, which comes on the heels of her public statements of disapproval over the convention date.
Following the leak of her internal letter to Dr Minnis, Mrs Butler-Turner told The Tribune that because the convention had been moved up, she was unsure if she would run for the party’s top post.
She said if Dr Minnis had “bothered to advise” her of the emergency executive committee meeting held on Tuesday, she would have informed him that it was not a good idea to hold a convention “on such short notice”.
The party’s convention was originally scheduled for the first quarter of 2015.
Last night, Mr Bethel said support of the decision to hold the national convention on November 21 was “overwhelming”, adding that the date was not short notice.
“There was one symbolic vote against it,” he said, “just to say there was one vote and it was just to say that it wasn’t unanimous.
“The Central Council of the party has already declared that any time now, and at the latest February or March there would be a convention, that is the standing resolution. This resolution was passed two months ago, leaving it free to the political directorate of the party to determine the date.”
Mr Bethel said: “So there’s no flip-flopping or anything like that. The last time we had a central council meeting there was a cry from the grass roots rank and file FNMs for public unity, and that just has not happened so the political decision had to be taken on how will we deal with the continuance of this problem.
“That was the view of the executive,” he added, “that we can’t continue in this condition for another six months, with an appearance of disharmony or discord.”
The Tribune understands that the spot for Deputy Leader will be highly contested in the upcoming convention with the current Deputy Chairman Dr Duane Sands set to throw his hat into the ring.
Last night, Dr Sands did not confirm or deny whether he would run for Deputy Leader.
He told The Tribune that he was unprepared to speak to the matter at this time.
Comments
Regardless 9 years, 6 months ago
LBT better now focus on her seat. That means not sitting in Cape Santa Maria consuming hundreds of thousands of calories but venturing out to see all of the constituency. It demands getting out of the official vehicles and walking up steep hills to see seniors who do not have the capacity to toil down the slope to hail her loftiness. It means having one on one meetings in a person's abode no matter how humble and no longer restricting face to face over plates and more plates in cook outs. Things that leaders of political parties must do to win elections.
LBT can thank Mr. Ingraham for both her safe seats during her parliamentary career. However a constituency does not welcome representation easily outwitted and now the task of proving worthy of the people's confidence is before her.
reverendrichlive 9 years, 6 months ago
Lady Butler will WIN, JUST WATCH
TalRussell 9 years, 6 months ago
by TalRussell
GQ 9 years, 6 months ago
"Thank God and Greyhound She's Gone." are the words of an old country song and I sure hope this speaks of Loretta.
Let the FNM now "MOVE FORWARD ONWARD UPWARD TOGETHER" to the 2017 election and turn this country around once again after the PLP have it almost on the rocks.
reverendrichlive 9 years, 6 months ago
Lady Butler will win, Dr Minus...yea, I said it right need to go back to his practice...he need more practice before becoming a true leader. PLP don't fear or respect him. If he is the best that the FNM can come up with then it is really a Failed National Movement. They respect and fear Lady Butler much more, besides she is WELCOME to come to the party of her grandfather, Sir Milo B. Butler..you go girl !
jackbnimble 9 years, 6 months ago
I'm glad to see the party moving forward. Pity for LBT who's aspirations are obviously going to cost her. Think she should have handled it better. She let too many people swell her head into thinking she could take the helm of the party by playing the media and painting Dr. M in a bad light - dirty laundry all over the news. Like him or not, he is the leader until formally voted out. Gatta respect that.
reverendrichlive 9 years, 6 months ago
she ga win..watch
DonAnthony 9 years, 6 months ago
Politics is a dirty business, and what goes around comes around. LBT apparently has been overtly and covertly undermining Mr. Minnis leadership and that situation is untenable. He needs to remove this dissension from the party and have unified leadership. The country can not afford another term from this inept, corrupt government. Our problems are too real and dire. Unfortunately our only real options are terrible govt from the fnm or really terrible govt from the plp.
Emac 9 years, 6 months ago
OR fresh governance from the DNA, which in their worst representation as a government couldn't be as bad as the PLP or FNM
Greentea 9 years, 6 months ago
Dr. Minnis- dont count your chickens until they are hatched. The very political game you played to force LBT to back off, might consume you too. Something tells me it ain't over yet.
TalRussell 9 years, 6 months ago
No mystery to this Comrade that Minnis is but the puppet and just doesn't possess the bullocks to have orchestrated a "Kim Jong" disappearance act against an obviously leadership wounded deputy leader Loretta and her Palookaville, Abaco "friends of Loretta?" The interesting red weeks ahead will play out, if Brent's hands are involved pulling Minnis's strings? If so, what, if any, are the implications of bringing back Comrade Pop Symonette's son? Would Brent's return reds leadership finally put Papa Hubert bed for good, or encourage his own return lead red party? And, the reds accuse the PLP's leadership being in deep shi@@.
licks2 9 years, 6 months ago
Old people in the FNM seem like they like the doc. . .as opposed to LBT!
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