Watson: Time for Bran to come home to the FNM

Branville McCartney

As of Monday, June 1, 2015

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson said it is time DNA Leader Branville McCartney “comes back home” to the FNM.

Although some FNM supporters have quietly expressed hope that Mr McCartney would return to the party, Mr Watson is the highest profile FNM member to call for his return.

It comes weeks after he raised concerns about the party’s leadership and direction.

He was responding to questions from The Tribune in which he said the DNA could be a spoiler in the next general election.

“I don’t know who they will spoil it for, whether the FNM or the PLP this time,” he said in a recent interview. “I think Bran ought to come back home. I don’t think he is (in) tune with the PLP’s philosophy. He’s got something going for him. He’d certainly be an asset to (the FNM).”

Mr McCartney has been dismissive in the past of talk about him rejoining the FNM. He said such talk is designed to destabilise his young party.

“We (the DNA) are going full steam ahead,” he said when asked about the matter last year. “We are grabbing more support.”

The former Bamboo Town MP resigned from the Ingraham Cabinet in 2010. He left the FNM a year later amid dissatisfaction with the government’s policies and what he perceived to be a lack of opportunity for members of the party to express their concerns about the direction of the nation.

He launched the DNA that same year, in 2011.

Last year, as the FNM was undergoing a reported leadership struggle, he said the country’s official opposition has been virtually nonexistent.

“We don’t have an official opposition, the official opposition seems to be in disarray, divided, speaking in five different tongues and they seem to be mis-stepping just as the PLP,” Mr McCartney said at the time. “The only opposition you have is the DNA.”

Although the DNA did not win any seats in the last election, the party gathered more than 10,000 votes and fielded a full slate of candidates. After the election, pundits said the new party had performed better than other fringe groups that have tried to compete against the PLP and FNM in the past.

BoopaDoop 8 years, 10 months ago

It's just a matter of time. A simple poll of DNA vs FNM would help him to make the right decision.

sansoucireader 8 years, 10 months ago

McCartney is not a team player. Was already a part of the FNM but with youth & inexperience couldn't see he could make changes within. He WAS IN, now just another impatient person on the outside looking in, wishin' and hoping.

themessenger 8 years, 10 months ago

You asking Bran to move from being The Leader to being less than the Leader? Its not in his DNA!

duppyVAT 8 years, 10 months ago

Will the anti-HAM clique in the senior party circle (Watson included) back Bran to run for FNM leadership???????????

Romrok 8 years, 10 months ago

Lol. Absolute last thing needed, bran going "home", we need a party of businessmen, you know those guys, that make money, and know what is required for a good business environment. Not a bunch of lawyers, damn theives. Hell my lawyer wont pickup his pen without 400 dollars in his hand. They doesnt have a clue on what hard work is.

Stop backing the same old theives that started 45 years ago. We need new younger blood, ones that can turn on a computer is a good start for our old backwards looking country.

Hey, isnt papa a bulldog nowadays? I never heard anyone say he was a team player.

I come from an FNM family, but i feel as a young bahamian, i have been screwed by both parties in my voting time. Time for change, no traditional pingdomite parties, something fresh, something to prove. If the DNA got power, they would make great change, to start for one reason, they wanna get back in. The fnm and plp been trading places for fun as part of deals the leaders make in greycliff and such, depending on how broke which political family is.

Try this, change the names and colours of the plp and fnm, see how the votes come in.

duppyVAT 8 years, 10 months ago

DONT FORGET ............... FNMBLUE AND PLPYELLOW MAKES DNAGREEN ............ TAKE DAT

TalRussell 8 years, 10 months ago

Comrade former DPM Watzie, says sarcastically to Loretta: Did you hear Bran's coming back under big red tent?
Loretta: Did Bran say that?
Watzie: Not exactly.
Loretta: Then best you shut up before you put things up he green head.

birdiestrachan 8 years, 10 months ago

The only way he will be going any where is if he is Chief. Papa's girl at the other paper wants Bran or Symonett to lead the FNM Party. Time will tell, in my view neither of them have any vision for the Bahamas. or its people. To Bran Mr: Ingraham is Papa, to Mr: Symonette and folks the same as ,him he is their "Delivery Boy"

asiseeit 8 years, 10 months ago

Boy you really got a "thing" for Papa. The story is about Bran, not a RETIRED ex P.M. I guess yinna still scared he will come back and clean the floor with Perry. LOL. If you had to choose a bird I would take the Osprey over the Peacock any day.

SP 8 years, 10 months ago

....Watson AND Branville agreed to float this "idea" through the media to test the waters ...

Us stupid electorate types are far too dumb to see through your "ingenious" plans.

Meet you at the polls!

John 8 years, 10 months ago

Is Frank speaking on HAI's behalf as well? Is he bringing a message from a stubborn (too much pride) papa to a stubborn (just as much pride son? Observers feel that the disarray in the opposition has allowed the PLP government to become a runaway train that seems to be gaining momentum. Despite the fact that crime and unemployment remains the two major issues, the PLP seems to be using other tactics to re-gain the support of disgruntled PLP's. It has decided that this government will be accountable to no one and appears to be going on a spending spree as election nears. In the main time the FNM seems to have lost a lot of clout after Loretta Butler was removed as deputy leader. So if the PLP unites its supporters and brings them back into the fold it would be impossible for an opposition divided between the FNM and DNA to win the next election. The worst of the worst is to allow the present that seems to be steeped in corruption and lack of accountability to get a second term where there is little or no opposition. So is the ball now in Branvilles court? For the good of the country.

SP 8 years, 10 months ago

.. DNA Leader Branville McCartney Could EASILY WIN With Anti-Corrption Campaign ..

Bran could pull the rug from under the PLP and FNM at will even blindfolded, with both hands tied behind his back!

All he has to do is run on an anti-corruption corruption campaign and expose PLP and FNM corruption and kickbacks.

EVERYBODY would vote DNA and he would pull off the biggest landslide victory in the history of this hemisphere carrying 100% of seats!

Panama's ongoing probe into their past president corruption modus operandi exposes GLARING SIMULATIONS to the PLP and FNM 40 years of shenanigans.

http://rijock.blogspot.com/2015/06/co...">http://rijock.blogspot.com/2015/06/co...

John 8 years, 10 months ago

Apparently being called corrupt or crooked, even by international sources does not seem to bother this government or it's core supporters. Case in point : questionable circumstances at urban renewal. Not only does the government effectively block an investigation, but they allocate even more money to the persons under suspicion. One Hundred Million to BAMSI not fully accounted for yet more money is given for unspecified works. Where did all the sidewalk money come from? Who is accountable for revenue from VAT? While government is now attempting to put more restrictions and requirements and stiffer penalties on VAT Registrants there seems to be little or no controls in place to ensure that VAT revenue is used for its intended purpose. How many members of parliament have made public disclosures?

SP 8 years, 10 months ago

That being said & agreed upon leads to only one obvious question

"Why aren't we seriously busying ourselves identifying individuals capable of forming a coalition government to succeed the PLP and FNM?"

Yourself and many other individuals regularly posting here seem far better alternatives to the dumb and dumber PLP and FNM back and forth "passing of the checkbook" synchronized corruption.

Emac 8 years, 10 months ago

There is absolutely no alternative to the DNA! The PLP should be banished from this country forever! The FNM cannot be trusted, especially under Minnis. We've walked down this road before and keep getting the same results. I personally don't think that there is no way in hell could the DNA be any worst that the two ineffective political parties.

duppyVAT 8 years, 10 months ago

EMAC ............... you are 100% correct!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Greg Moss for PM and a coalition of persons including Doc Rollins, Pintard, Bran and LBT ........ that is my choice for 2017!!!!!!!!!!

SP 8 years, 10 months ago

Whereas I am in absolute agreement DNA couldn't possibly be any worst than the PLP or FNM.

The one outstanding question remaining unanswered before Brans DNA or anyone else qualifies for my vote is:

"Will Branvilles & his DNA party tackle corruption, or does he/they plan to simply give the "Da PLP & FNM Good Old Beys Dem" a pass, allowing Bran and his new crew of cronies to carry on the same corrupt practices & filling their pockets?

Remember, the PLP and FNM inherited corruption from the UBP. They fine tuned and expanded existent corruption they found already in place, but they did not invent it!

It would be totally asinine and counterproductive for us to elect a 3rd party to simply come in and carry on with corruption as usual.

Branville's DNA or any other political entities prerequisites must be to firstly distance themselves from PLP & FNM corruption norms and unconditionally declare they will relentlessly pursue and root out corruption letting WHOMEVER needs to go to jail.....GO!

TalRussell 8 years, 10 months ago

Comrades how could the DNA be given so much media attention cuz The Tribune must knows that although the DNA have been advertising itself (for free of course) as a "political party" it has NO constituency offices anywhere across Bahamaland. Has NO "elected leader." Has NO party Constitution. Holds no party conventions. Holds NO regularly constituted executive meetings. Keeps NO minutes of what goes on when it does meet. The media has know they are a fraud of a politically acting party.
In fact the DNA closed its party's headquarters office some time ago, so doesn't even have an official office? Where in the hell is their own accountability to the 36 paid DNA party members they have registered? What exactly will Bran bring to the Red Party's leadership cuz I am at a complete loss to answer that question? I think the smart reds better start dealing NOW with Bran factor and straight to the damn point - either you want to turn over your party's leadership to him, or you don't? This is an exclusive red matter to answer but damn well answer it NOW.

Emac 8 years, 10 months ago

Tal, if that is the stance you are taking regarding proper protocol for a political part,y then the FNM and the PLP have failed ten times over. The two parties might have established all of the above that you mentioned, but they sure ain adhering to any of it!

TalRussell 8 years, 10 months ago

Comrade Emac my point is exactly that. If the DNA are no different than the other two main political parties - what's their purpose? It is not like Bran is new, cuz he is going into his fourth year as self-appointed leader.
Might I remind you that the last time anything progressive occurred within a political party - it took labour's elected member of the House of Assembly Randol Fawkes and Independent Alvin Brennen to prop up that important change. I have feeling history is about to repeat itself come 2017, or maybe before.
An important note deserving some serious reflection. Bran has only proven to be electable, if propped up by Papa Hubert.

SP 8 years, 10 months ago

................................ Bran taking on FNM leadership is a non starter ................................

Accepting the FNM leadership also means accepting FNM skeletons and corruption.

Bahamas must have a new clean slate party to effectively deal with PLP and FNM corruption.

Any ties to either party will render a newbe powerless to expose corruption in either party because PLP and FNM are joined at the hip pocket level.

banker 8 years, 10 months ago

Bran is not a leader. He may be an agent of change, but he is not a leader. I rather like the idea of Minnis purging the Ingrahamites. He is facing resistance in his own party, and that is a sign that he is doing something right.

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