Dr Hubert Minnis
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
THE Free National Movement (FNM) will hold elections for chairman of the party in two weeks and a full convention in November, according to party officials.
Acting Chairman Brensil Rolle confirmed on Friday that the vote for chairman will take place at a special call meeting at the party's Mackey Street headquarters on April 14.
Nominations for the post will open on Monday, April 4.
Mr Rolle said: "The party accepted the recommendations with the Leader (Dr Hubert Minnis) to have the convention in November and that the elections for the position of chairman will take place on the 14th of April. And the party stood by his recommendations."
Dr Minnis made the recommendation at a council meeting on Thursday night.
The decision comes amid widespread controversy over the alleged role of Dr Minnis and senior party officials in a complex court action against Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard.
Former FNM chairman Michael Pintard resigned because of concerns over his involvement in the lawsuit filed against Mr Nygard on March 9 by several Save The Bays directors, including Lyford Cay billionaire Louis Bacon, and activist Reverend CB Moss. Mr Pintard was named as being the person who uncovered the alleged murder-for-hire plot after meeting with “gang members” Livingston "Toggie" Bullard and Wisler "Bobo" Davilma in early 2015.
The billionaire fashion designer - Mr Bacon's neighbour - fired back with his own allegations and filed court documents that claim Bullard and Davilma were paid for “false testimony” against him.
The controversy heightened when Dr Minnis later admitted he met with one of the criminals involved in the alleged plot - Bullard - three times. Dr Minnis maintained that he did not discuss Mr Nygard and had no prior knowledge of the court action.
This week, Mr Nygard has sued The Tribune, Save The Bays, as well as Dr Minnis, Mr Pintard, and others, for “libel” as well as “abuse” of the Supreme Court and Parliament.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years ago
The outcome of this election will tell Bahamian voters whether the entire governing apparatus of the FNM party is corrupt beyond all hope for the party's ongoing viability in Bahamian politics. We can only hope and pray Minnis is jettisoned by the party for the sake of its survival. Those who believe their future and the future of the FNM party is tied to Minnis will be gravely disappointed and banished from Bahamian politics come the next general election.
Publius 8 years ago
Actually, the process and outcome of their 2014 convention told us that.
TalRussell 8 years ago
Comrade red shirts it is true as the saying goes, when your PLP opponents, does gives you lemons, you makes lemonade.
I ain't never read nothing about having the ability to think that by waiting until November, that somehow you will sweeten that terrible Nygardgate bitter taste - you so foolishly mixed and served to thousands your own supporters.
If reds were smart, they would outsmart Minnis and his executives, by nominating your own red party Charmian. You must sign up enough 'new red shirt members' by the elections on April 14, 2016, to outsmart this bunch.
Teach Minnis, red MP's and Executives that their services are NO longer needed.
Wouldn't the red party be better off, NOT to bother with having any of the current MP's, sitting up in the Peoples Honourable House of Assembly and Senate?
TheMadHatter 8 years ago
Of course - it's kind of short notice (13 days) for others to get into the race. The article says nominations will OPEN on the 4th, but does not say when they will CLOSE. In other words, do others have until like the 7th to get their names on the ballots? To decide whether or not they want to run? To get their platforms together and convince others why they should vote for them?
Sounds like a strategy of convincing everyone to hurry up and have to choose the devil you know over the devil you don't.
TheMadHatter 8 years ago
At the same time, I must commend Dr. Minnis for allowing such a vote to take place. I respect him for that. If only Mr. McCartney would do the same, I believe his stock in the public eye would rise (whether or not he maintains his position). Mr. McCartney could still play a vital role in the DNA.
Publius 8 years ago
Allow? That is not his call, that is the call of the Central Council of the Party. The Leader does not have authority over a declaration of the Central Council.
TalRussell 8 years ago
Comrade just short weeks back the red shirts tried hold an election to ram their chosen down the throats red members - the police were called and responded to a disturbance - thus ending the election. But the media forgot this incident actually happened.
If they really think that they will have the support to smoothly pull this April 14, election off - good luck?
This red party's leadership is bankrupt and will be unseated by their own supporters.
The reds must repossess their party and move quickly. The red party's focus should not be on the PLP. They must first begin to rebuild their own party - before they will be ready to offer themselves to the nation's voters.
Economist 8 years ago
Give LBT the leadership.
Publius 8 years ago
Are there two different FNMs now? They issued this dated the 31st:
The Central Council also agreed pursuant to and consistent with Section 23 of the Party’s Constitution, practice, custom and precedent that, if necessary, there will be, an election for the Office of Chairman on Monday, April 14, 2016. The process for the election of the said Office begun at the Thursday, March 31 meeting, as Nomination was opened and one individual was duly nominated in the person of Sidney Collie, Attorney-at-Law. Council decided to have Nominations for Chairman remain open until the close of business day, Monday, April 4, 2016.
But in this story, Rolle says that nominations will open/begin on Monday the 4th. The Party's statement meantime, says nominations opened last Thursday and will close at the end of business day on Monday the 4th. Which is it? Are there two FNMs now, the one Rolle is Acting Chairman of, and the one that met last Thursday? And if nominations began as of their Council meeting on Thursday night and Collie has already nominated, why hasn't Rolle nominated? Why didn't he nominate during that Council meeting as the Party says Collie did? He is the Acting Chair right now, and when speaking to the media about that acting post, he was talking as though he was already the Chairman-elect. And as an aside, whoever wrote that statement needs to take some refresher courses on sentence structure, punctuation and grammar.
Greentea 8 years ago
HAI for chairman! lol. at least it would make things interesting. the PLP would scatter like roaches when the lights are turned on.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years ago
Repost: Who is this brain dead and politically tone deaf Brensil Rolle? Minnis may have in recent years embedded many dumb minions like Rolle throughout the governing apparatus of the FNM, including possibly the FNM's Central Council. Minnis's apparent ability to have stacked the deck in his favour is a direct result of the very vulnerable and fragile state of chaos that Hubert A. Ingraham (better known as "Hubiggity") so irresponsibly left the FNM party in immediately after it was bludgeoned by the PLP during the last general election. It will simply be impossible to ever again breath new life into the FNM if Minnis is not soon removed from his leadership position, a position that he has already clearly failed in. The voting public will never allow Minnis to become PM and Christie deservedly should be comforted by that reality if the Central Council of the FNM remains hell bent in seeing the party's ruination under Minnis. Time and time again I have heard previous staunch supporters of the FNM say they will starve the FNM of campaign funding and even vote PLP in the next general election if that is what it will take to keep Minnis from ever becoming PM and to send a clear message to the Central Council of the FNM. Only a foolish member of the FNM's Central Council would tie their own future in Bahamian politics to a man like Minnis who is so despised by so many Bahamian voters.
proudloudandfnm 8 years ago
November is too late.
The FNM will lose in 2017.
I hope then the entire FNM central council is replaced.
This is rdidculous.
Minnis is the worst leader the party has ever had...
EasternGate 8 years ago
Minnis leadership reminds me of back in the old days, when a fella took fancy to a young woman, who was not attracted to him. He would in turn court the parents. Next thing you know the parents pressuring their daughter to marry this "nice" fella.
I find it alarming that the "core" of Minnis's supporters are comprised of HAI Haters and sycophants with their own greedy agendas. If we wait until November, the party will be split down the middle. I hope Minnis and his minions take responsibility for giving away the 2017 elections to the PLP! Forget it Dr. Minnis, you are NOT going to be our next Prime Minister. Actually, you are now the Party's Prime Misery!
TalRussell 8 years ago
Let’s get red party working on April 14, 2016. I can't do this without your support and want you on Comrade Tal’s red team!
Maybe, I will take out a red membership in time April 14, 2016 election. Dust off me Comrade’s red beret to get me-self nominated for chairman red shirts party?
Think I could get my fellow blogger Banker to sponsor my red membership?
Comrade reds I knows I shouldn’t but why shouldn’t I use the party’s membership dues to gain first-hand knowledge, likes how did senior red shirts trade-off their common senses to end up rolling their beloved, once powerful, red party’s faces in the mud with the likes of a Boggie and Bobo?
Taking on job new such as red chairman, does fits with my career plans. I've only been looking be employed at a job, not guaranteed last more than few weeks or months.
Admittedly, I does lacks sufficient qualifications on how get a political party on the road to General Election victory, but neither did Pintard, Darron, nor does Brensil?
Himm...got's me thinking. I could go right for position red party leader?
by TalRussell
sheeprunner12 8 years ago
Excellent suggestion and outcome for the FNM .......... when will the PLP as the "first-born" set a good example for party politics to mature in our country????????? ........ when will the PLP elect a real Chairman and hold a real convention????????? ....... Perry and Brad are running the PLP like the Castro brothers are running Cuba (but PLPs don't seem to have a problem with it) ............ the last PLP (annual) Convention was in 2009
killemwitdakno 8 years ago
Full meaning all registered FNM voters hopefully.
sheeprunner12 8 years ago
Yes... its time that the FNM website get updated where you can go and register and vote online for the candidate of your choice in the Nov Convention
licks2 8 years ago
WHY? Don't the FNM have a constitution that governs how yinna must do it? Hehehehehehehhehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Ah my. . .ya think the doc will beat ya again?
TalRussell 8 years ago
Comrades I guess I must have deeper questions, why red MP's, Senators, Executives and those well connected to the red party, think their best position is to sit back and say nothing when something really needs to be said.
Are they that secure in thinking there are not even more scandalous revelations bond to make their way to the public as filed court documents allegations are closely scrutinized and defended?
How could they possibly go door knocking come the 2017 General with this monkey on their party's back?
Do red MP's and Senators really think the party's General Counsel have "A Matter of Trust" mandate from the party's rank and file membership to be rushing through the 'election' of a chairman come April 14, 2016?
What will be your response if the General Membership orders the General Counsel to cancel the April 14, 2016 'dummy' election?
licks2 8 years ago
Well here we go again. . .THE CHICKENS ARE RESTLESS. . . yall need to give it a rest. . . THE DOC WILL SURVIVE THIS BOBO AND TOGGIE AFFAIR. . .BEAT LBT AND HER BAND OF SUBVERTERS. Clearly, it looks like the doc has better thinking skills than all you guys put together. But must I remind you all that the FNM will not win the election for yinna. . .WE THE PEOPLE WILL PUT IN A GOVERNMENT OF OUR CHOOSING!! SO YOU ALL CAN HAVE WHATEVER LEADER YOU LIKE. . .BUT YOU ALL BETTER NOT GIVE ONE THAT WE DON'T WANT!! The election is yinna own to loose. . .STAY ON THAT STUPID TRACK. . .AND WATCH THIS NATION HAVE A GREEN GOVERNMENT!!
themessenger 8 years ago
Gotta tell you, every day the Greens looking a much better alternative to Naughty's' Yellow "Dumpster Divers" or the Reds Both Feet in Mouth all the time clowns. The November date for convention is the final nail in the FNM coffin.
sheeprunner12 8 years ago
Convention should be in May or June ............. FNM gatta clean house or DIE (lose election)
licks2 8 years ago
We don't care. . .we can vote for 2 other options. . .WE WILL VOTE WITH OUR FEET COME 2017. BUT I DO AGREE THAT IF YALL HOPE TO PRESNT TO US ANY VIABLE CHOICE. . .YOUR CONVENTION SHOULD BE MAY OF JUNE! REMOVAL OF MINNIS IN NOVEMBER IS A SURE "DONE" FOR YALL EXCEPT YINNA BRING BACK PAPA. EVEN THOUGH WE THINK THATS "GOING BACKWARDS" FOR THE NATION. . .THATS THE ONLY HOPE RTHE FNM WILL HAVE. . .BRING BACK PAPA IN NOVEMBER. . .OR LEAVE DOC AS LEADER. . .TAKE YOUR PICK! GET IT RIGHT. . .YA BACK IN GOVERNMENT. . .GET IT WRONG. . . WELCOME TO THE NEW DNA GOVERNMENT!
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