The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

DNA Leader Branville McCartney yesterday urged voters in the Bamboo Town constituency to give him another opportunity to represent them, as he suggested that the current area representative Renward Wells has undermined their trust.

Mr McCartney lambasted Mr Wells for not adequately informing constituents ahead of his move to the Free National Movement last week.

Mr Wells, along with then independent Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins, crossed the floor of the House of Assembly to join the FNM last Wednesday.

According to Mr McCartney, Mr Wells’ decision not to meet with his constituents and discuss his move prior to the announcement essentially voided his parliamentary allegiance to the Bamboo Town constituency.

He recalled the details of his resignation from the FNM in 2011 over the sale of the majority stake of BTC to Cable & Wireless Communications.

The former Cabinet minister said that at the time of the sale, he met with his constituents to tell voters of the government’s intent and asked how they wanted him to vote on the matter.

Mr McCartney claimed that FNM supporters not only interrupted that meeting but also brought it to an end.

“But 80 per cent of the people of Bamboo Town at that time; not only from that meeting, but through social media, through door-to-door (canvassing) indicated that they wished for me to go in an opposite direction than the party I was sitting with,” he said.

“The right thing to do at that time, since it was a national issue that we were voting on, was to step down, remove yourself from the allegiance of the party and do what the people who voted you in wanted to do and that is what I did,” he added.

Mr McCartney captured 1,022 votes in the 2012 general election, 918 less than Mr Wells.

“The sacrifice that I made for Bamboo Town was going with what the persons in Bamboo Town wanted me to do, I ultimately lost. As a matter of fact, I came third out of four people in the last election, I was handsomely defeated.”

“I think the people of Bamboo Town should give me an opportunity to represent them again and show them what real representation is. I will campaign on my record in Bamboo Town, what was done in Bamboo Town as a representative.”

Last night, as a guest of Peace’s 107.5FM’s show Hard Copy, Mr Wells apologised to his constituents for not telling them beforehand of his plans to join the FNM.

He also said he planned to remain with the FNM for the remainder of his political career.

Meanwhile, DNA Deputy Leader Chris Mortimer said the DNA never extended an invitation to Mr Wells or Dr Rollins to join the third party. He said they were considered a “liability”.

“When they started the National Development Party they espoused a level of independence, true democracy – in terms of those being the things we need from our members of Parliament to make a great country.

“They have broken every single word that they said. How can you trust them? It means that their actions and words don’t equate.”

“So why should we (the DNA) trust them, why should Dr (Hubert) Minnis trust them, why should the Bahamian people trust them? We have two men in two constituencies that were put there by people and they broke that promise too.”

“It is a liability. Politics unfortunately makes for strange bedfellows,” Mr Mortimer added.

Both Mr Wells and Dr Rollins were members of the now defunct National Development Party before they joined the PLP in 2011.