Loretta Butler-Turner
Reader poll
Do you agree with Loretta Butler-Turner that the FNM is at the weakest point in its history?
- Yes, I agree.
- No, I do not agree.
137 total votes.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Deputy Chief Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner contended yesterday that if Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis scored another victory at the party’s convention next week, she believes the FNM would abandon her.
Mrs Butler-Turner, who is for the second time facing off against Dr Minnis for the leader position of the party, pointed to accusations that Dr Minnis will likely seek vengeance against her and five other members of Parliament who threatened to petition Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling to have him constitutionally removed.
Mrs Butler-Turner was asked whether she was prepared to leave the FNM if she was not elected its leader during an appearance on 96.9 FM talk show “The Revolution” with host Juan McCartney.
Responding, she pointed to reports that the party had plans to replace her as its candidate in Long Island. It has been speculated several times that the party was considering controversial Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins as its next candidate for the island.
Dr Rollins visited Long Island in February and it was reported that he was seeking support from FNMs on the island. It came as photographs surfaced on social media purportedly depicting the MP visiting the home of a well-known FNM Long Islander.
“I would like to be able to say ‘yes I am going back to Long Island and bring home the seat for the FNM’ but in the back of the mind and probably will become front of my mind are the words of Dr Minnis who said if he prevails, no when he prevails, that he will deal with the six of us,” she said.
“That for me is the leader saying I have no intent of unifying us, I am going to get rid of you. That for me is going to be a further challenge to unification of our party and people need to know that.”
She continued: “…I believe the FNM under Dr Minnis is prepared to leave me and let me just underline why I say that. (It is) because of what he said and because as a sitting incumbent I have had two challengers already in my constituency that have not been rebuked.
“The first one is another sitting member of Parliament who has chosen that he is no longer running in his area but he thinks he can go to Long Island to undermine Loretta,” she said, referring to Dr Rollins.
“There has been no public rebuke of that action. It is disrespectful. It is undermining. It is divisive. It is not good for the health of our party and I have not ever said that I have no intention again of running in Long island. That is the first strike.
“The second strike during the last regatta in May of this year there were persons that were being introduced on the regatta site by Dr Minnis. One person in particular that this would be the next FNM standard bearer in Long Island and the people of Long Island have said ‘you have got to be joking.’ That person has now come out and is rebuking me everyday, maligning my good character, castigating me and saying why they think I am unfit.”
She was referring to former Cabinet Minister Tennyson Wells. Mr Wells has publicly stated his support for Dr Minnis many times and predicted that he will defeat Mrs Butler-Turner and her running mate Senator Duane Sands at the party’s convention next week.
This was only the case, Mrs Butler-Turner said because Mr Wells saw Dr Minnis as someone he is able to control.
“They have been rejected by Long Island before,” she added. “They have left the Free National Movement and now sit in a position of advisory. That person is no less a person than the opportunist Tennyson Wells who cannot get what he wants under (Prime Minister) Perry Christie and now sees a soft spot to try and get what he wants.
“Has he ever said to the Bahamian people that his biggest desire is to be able to have a casino license for some failed project he has in Coral Harbour and that is the reason why he is so gung-ho because he knows under a Loretta Butler-Turner (administration) he has no way of getting that casino license?”
When contacted by The Tribune, Mr Wells rejected this assertion yesterday, insisting that his support of Dr Minnis was not grounded in partisan bias but a sober assessment of the political landscape.
He pointed out that the project to which Mrs Butler-Turner referred was approved by the American state of Georgia, and has been underway for the past 16 months. He explained that investors received positive indications from the Christie-led government on the casino license, but ultimately took the project to America because of lingering uncertainty from investment banks over the shuttered Baha Mar project.
Last month Mr Wells said Mrs Butler-Turner and Senator Sands “don’t stand a chance” against Dr Minnis and Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest at the convention.
Mr Wells at the time was adamant that the “tactical, smooth and politically savvy” Dr Minnis and Mr Turnquest had the support of the majority of the FNM’s delegates now as they had back in 2014 when they won their respective races.
Comments
licks2 7 years, 9 months ago
Would somebody please just shut this woman up? Does she think that "exposing her guts in public" will help her cause with john Q public? Who advising her. . .she needs to chill a bit. . . cut the wild accusations a lil bit! I don't see how she can expect to say anything about other party leaders and don't expect to get her "tail" handed to her later!
It would appear that she can't "move" beyond bad mouthing as good politics. . .a sign that the "mind is empty" . . .rowing becomes a substitute good ideas. . .which I wait to see from the LBT camp!
Publius 7 years, 9 months ago
She is a Member of Parliament. No one can or ought to attempt to shut her up. You Minnis cretins believe that he and the morons clutching onto him for half-life are the only persons with the right to speak in the FNM. I hold no brief for Butler-Turner whatsoever but these are the kinds of attitudes in your party that are going to be part of the reason your party goes down in flames in the upcoming general election.
themessenger 7 years, 9 months ago
Goes down in flames???? Surely you meant crashed and burned already!
licks2 7 years, 9 months ago
She is "going down in flames because of supports as you seem to be. . .would not approach anything about her as objective rather than "being doc persons"! What if I am telling you the truth and I am not a doc person. . .that means she sucks bad. . .something you can't admit because you had your "hat" in the ring with her. . .now you see that "the car has stopped" and she is milling around it with no idea how to "eat" the car she was chasing for the last four years!
You called us cretins and morons. . .but it is persons like you and a few others who "egged" on LBT. . .now we can't hear from yinna. . .only her making herself look bad in public. The FNM is ya party. . .AND IT IS PERSONS LIKE YOU WHO SUPPORTED THE PUBLIC BLOOD-LETTING. . .THAT BROUGHT DOWN THAT PARTY IN THE EYES OF WE THE PUBLIC!! THE GENERAL ELECTION IS FAR AWAY. . .BUT WE ARE MORE THAN LIKELY TO SEE YOU AND YOURS GO DOWN SOONER. . .IF LBT KEEP UP HER SUCKIE WAYS. . .LOL!!
thephoenix562 7 years, 9 months ago
Me! Me! Me! Enough already!
TalRussell 7 years, 9 months ago
Holy Sweet Jesus!
Regardless 7 years, 9 months ago
...obviously water is finally finding its level.
SP 7 years, 9 months ago
Yeah but BLT floats like a ship and thought that meant she was "on top"
licks2 7 years, 9 months ago
I just came from the Freeport site where the Freeport news did a survey and found such rating for LBT. . .basically, they think she is not the one for the next PM. . .female or not!!
The whole nation place the "backstabbing" and divisiveness in the party at her door steps. . .doc is not carrying on bad in public like she is. . . NOW SHE IS BEING SEEN AS A BOALD-FACED LIAR. . . we suspect highly that she is "TILLY" in the attempts to make doc look bad in public. . .like the old folks say. . ."throw the rocks then hid e she hands". . .and lie dry-eyed and say "teen me hitting doc in he head wid dem rocks them there so". . .Lol!!
sheeprunner12 7 years, 9 months ago
I thought by now, the Dissident Six would have an exit strategy ........ what are they thinking???? ............. that it will be kumbayah and one big family??????? ....... BOL
licks2 7 years, 9 months ago
They don't even have a plan or strategy for moving the party. . .much less the nation forward! All that time they had. . .four years. . .hitting, hitting, hitting doc all up-side he head with criticisms. . .now that they have their convention. . .all kind of complaining and innuendoes. . .bogie man in every crack. . .pity party all over the place. . . ALL OF THEM BROKE OFF RUNNING NAD LEFT LBT STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH THAT BIG RED BUS HEADING STRAIGHT FOR HER. . .she in trouble bad. . .
TalRussell 7 years, 9 months ago
Only in the Red Movement you say?
licks2 7 years, 9 months ago
Yes. . .we too busy surviving to take time out with LBT and doc them "mud wrestling match" . . .if she stop coming "in public" with she nasty comments we will not check for them until we need them in 2017!
LBT fail to see that's their "big red bus" fight. . .we only watching and having a good laugh at their expense! We are just tired of hearing from all of them every day. . .enough already!! Now this morning. . ."doc say if he beat me at convention. . ."he ger beat me". . .WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO THAT WOMAN WHO SLAPPED ROLLINS AND DID NOT CARE. . .SHE NEEDS TO "MAN-UP". . .LOL!
sheeprunner12 7 years, 9 months ago
The FNM needs a third candidate ............. may I suggest John Bostwick II for leader and Daron Cash/Michael Pintard as his running mate??????
licks2 7 years, 9 months ago
John can't come back. . .the bullets in his bags "throw him up-in the bushes". . .Pintard still "tied" to Toggie and Bobo. . .Mr Cash is like a male LBT. . .whine, bicker, complain, pity partying and all over the public. . . too much of a woos! How about sending us yinna Papa as leader and doc as deputy. . .Lol! Papa and doc are the only two we the public will accept from yinna big red bus it seem. . .send anybody else and we are most likely to paint yinna big bus green!! Lol!
Regardless 7 years, 9 months ago
John Bostwick is a gangster and convicted felon!
SP 7 years, 9 months ago
.............................. BLT is a stupid woman. Imagine her as PM! ..............................
Her mouth wrote checks her backside can't cash!
tonymontana 7 years, 9 months ago
lol licks , you are so right , yuh cah trow rocks den hide in duh bush like marcus garvey , she threw stones and now that they have formed into boulders and are rolling down hill at her fas fas , she cryin wolf, you cant have it both ways lbt ,
TalRussell 7 years, 9 months ago
by TalRussell
DEDDIE 7 years, 9 months ago
I am not FNM or PLP but it will be foolish for Minnis to keep the dissident six around.If the FNM wins by six seat, the dissident six would always have in their power to change the government. No leader wants that hanging over their head.The dissident six will be more powerful than Prime Minister Minnis if he wins and keep them in the fold.
jackbnimble 7 years, 9 months ago
One the so-called dissident six is my MP. If they don't run the individual, I won't be voting FNM - Full stop!
licks2 7 years, 9 months ago
I don't go for "cutting down to the knees" for any of the six except Mr. Neko Grant. . .THE REST OF THEM CAN STAY! He and LBT were the two who did not appeared in any outing by doc. . .the others did so now and again. . .LBT still has some contributions to make. . .she still young. . .Mr. Grant is old and should know better. . .SEND HIM HOME!!
People should give LBT some room to work her way back inside the good graces of the party. . .we can't blame her for trying to be the first female PM. . .we must remember the opportunity was there after Papa left the FNM and the PLP did so badly. . . she just played her hand wrong. . . not so viciously as did Mr. Grant! She looked as if she would not do any work because it would have reflected on doc good skills. . .so she kept going to the public with every little thing. . .but she was not down right vicious as Mr Grant.
I don't see a reason to push her out of the party if she will now settle down and contribute to the success of the party. . .in fact I think her "pushing" was good for doc. . .tried him by fire. . .made him "hard". . .he will need it when he go up against the PLP! Like LBT said. . .THE PLP EEN START THEIR ENGINES YET. . .
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 9 months ago
Martyr syndrome mixed with tall tales, "the party will abandon me", "I stopped the coup", "I came to Dr Minis' defense", "I organized the hurricane relief". I, I, I, me, me me.
SP 7 years, 9 months ago
How come she never admits to eating all the dam donuts?
paul_vincent_zecchino 7 years, 9 months ago
No one ever admits to that. Ever.
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 9 months ago
That's something you confess to your priest. But she has done a wonderful job taking off the weight. Hope to see her down to a healthy weight within another year
proudloudandfnm 7 years, 9 months ago
Anyone seen Minnis lately?
TigerB 7 years, 9 months ago
Ok So let's say the Doc wins....fill in the blanks! So what will he do differently?
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 9 months ago
I hope the one thing he does differently is listen to Dr Sands. I've been told Dr Sands "is a poor politician", and that may be exactly why I like him, he's just so sensible and measured and anti-fluff. Quick, cogent, substantive responses in real time. Dr Minnis could use that.
licks2 7 years, 9 months ago
The beat goes on. . . if LBT continues with her coup. . .throw she out of the boat. . .with any of the six that continue with their attempts at coup. . .
TalRussell 7 years, 9 months ago
Comrade Tiger B and others does asks, what after a Minnis leadership win? Many would say to mark the spot as an important let no red ever forget game-changer 3-days in a political party's history.
Comrades! This slap of granite laid out in front of The Meliá Nassau Beach, is the spot where on July 27-29, 2016, the Red Movement's 410 voting delegates did's vote to swap out from the red party's membership, the mindsets of the Six-MP's Butlerism attempted higher intelligencios coup d'état, who chose to fill it's almost five-years agenda as Her Majesty's Government in waiting, with their collective personal mischief-making ambitions, hell bent to overthrow the party's democratically elected leadership under the nose of Her Excellency Dame Marguerite and out-of-sight of the 410 voting convention's delegates, and the Red Movements decision making Council members."
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