By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Free National Movement’s decision to host its convention in November has rankled some top members of the party, with two officials describing it to The Tribune yesterday as “absurd” and “unsettling.”
They see the move as self-serving, designed to strengthen Dr Hubert Minnis’ hand as leader despite the intra-party conflict that threatens to derail the FNM’s efforts to defeat the PLP in the next general election.
However, those opposed have concluded that there might be no recourse to successfully challenging the decision. The FNM’s council of about 150 members overwhelmingly supported the move during a council meeting last month, The Tribune understands.
“There is disappointment all around (about the state of the party), as we should be at our absolute peak, a different place than we are today,” said one of the FNM members, both of whom spoke to The Tribune anonymously to frankly discuss the divisions in the party.
“By November, (Dr Minnis) figures it would be too late to challenge for leadership.”
The other FNM member said: “The convention should be held tomorrow. It’s unsettling because November is too far. Too many things going on to have a convention in November. We might be going into convention when the PLP calls the election.”
However, some high profile members disagree.
Central and South Abaco MP Edison Key told The Tribune he sees no reason to have a convention before November.
“I don’t know why they want a convention every two or three months,” he said. “All this is, is a crew that’s stirring the pot and keeping it hot. I don’t see the PLP requesting an earlier convention. It’s just the FNM in such turmoil so that everyone is calling for one. The question is: What happens if you call for it and Dr Minnis wins again? Then what will they do? We had two conventions already. (In the last one), Loretta and Dr Minnis ran and Dr Minnis won.”
Mr Key acknowledged that there are some who still want to see Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner as leader.
However, he said: “The pushing of her is on the surface. I supported her for deputy leader and then she decided she wanted to be the leader and she ran against Dr Minnis and lost. You only die once. Sometimes you don’t have a second chance.”
Some members of the party are also rankled by what they see as a campaign being waged on Dr Minnis’ behalf before the convention is held.
At a Bain Town event last week where the FNM introduced Leonard Sands as its candidate for the constituency, many people wore T-shirts that said: “Minnis or Nuttin.”
One of the members said: “When you start running around with a T-shirt that says ‘Minnis or Nuttin,’ that says everything. It takes after (former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham) Papa, but at that time he faced a general election and it was a promotion of a choice between him or Christie. Because of the fact that Ingraham had earned his stripes, you could portray it as Papa or nothing. But for this guy to promote a t-shirt like that prior to a convention when someone will likely challenge him…that kind of attitude is outrageous.”
Asked yesterday if outrage over the t-shirts is warranted, former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson said it’s not a significant matter.
However, he said: “Someone in the leadership did that. It shows insecurity from the leadership side.”
Comments
Economist 8 years ago
They have no leader and are hell bent on bringing this country down.
The current FNM Council is out of touch, just like their leader Minnis.
Like many others, if they do not appoint another leader, say LBT, then I will probably vote DNA.
shaboy 8 years ago
LBT is excellent choice however Minnis is the elected leader of the fnm and he has the heart of the majority of council and fnm supporters.
look out Bran here comes trouble..
Publius 8 years ago
Absolutely untrue, most FNM supporters want him gone.
As for Council Members, he handpicked most of them, therefore it is not their heart he has, it is the loyalty they owe him for giving them the spot.
justthefactsplease 8 years ago
The FNM needs to realize that come 2017 there will only be two options for prime minister...Christie or McCartney...Minnis will be a non-factor. Here is why:- in 2012 the DNA played the role of spoiler for the FNM by taking away enough vote for them to lose the election. This time around they are a more organized party and are putting out persons who are viable candidates which will help them to get at least twice as much votes as last time. At the very least the DNA will again be the spoiler and cause the FNM to lose...so nationalistic FNM's (and Bahamians in general) need to vote DNA if they want Christie gone as that is the ONLY option in 2017. Mark my word!!!!!
B_I_D___ 8 years ago
Minnis getting nervous now, his days are numbered...
Publius 8 years ago
A party with no foresight. The FNM has consistently blasted the PLP for its leaders stacking the deck at the Council level so that they never lose a challenge on the floor. Well, if the FNM really appreciated what a threat to democracy this is, the FNM ought to have reviewed its Party Constitution and made changes where necessary so as to prevent any leader it has from being able to do the same types of things. But the reality is that leaders like having these options open to them should they ever choose to use those options themselves, hence their never making a move to remove such options. Making mature decisions to deepen democracy and protect against what is being complained about now marks the difference between building a Party over its 40-plus year history, and simply being in the leader's chair thereof.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years ago
If Minnis remains leader of the FNM that party's candidates will all be spurned in the next general election and I for one will not be voting unless an independent candidate of good reputation and standing in the community is running in my constituency. I suspect such individuals who run as independents stand a good chance of being elected no matter which constituency they may choose to run in. Most Bahamian voters are now simply too fed up with all the corruption and nonsense in both the PLP and FNM parties. These two political parties are dysfunctional beyond redemption or repair and, if allowed by Bahamian voters, will cause untold and irreparable harm to our country and the way of life for all Bahamians for many generations to come. As for the DNA party......well, let's just say they continue to have very great difficulty in attracting candidates of a calibre that will be needed to fix the mess created by both the PLP and FNM parties over the last 35 years or so.
Reality_Check 8 years ago
Repost - The fact that only Sidney Collie and Rodney Moncur were in the running for the chairmanship of the FNM party, and that the party's central council members would even consider accepting either one of these two losers for that position, speaks volumes about the shambles that pig headed Hubiggity left the party in when the voters forced him to go "cut bait". Like Poodling and Vomit, Hubiggity was so fearful of political competition within his own party and the likelihood of his many weaknesses and shenanigans being exposed that he simply refused to identify and nurture a competent successor to himself; one who would serve the interests of all of the Bahamian people well, not just party supporters. The true test of any political leader is their willingness and ability to plan for their succession by someone who possesses all of the core competencies to win elections, run a government well and serve the best interests of the people. On this front Poodling failed, Christie is clearly failing, and Hubbigity failed miserably. Yes, the FNM party is indeed now history and the last person leaving the party's headquarters after the next general election will need to turn the lights off for good. Such is the legacy of Hubbigity and such will be the legacy of Christie with respect to the PLP party if he does not soon identify and nurture a competent successor to himself - someone not presently in his cabinet of corrupt morons and looney tunes.
licks2 8 years ago
Well here we go again. . .the few villagers are "mad" again! Yall keep failing to realize that "the FNM" party is not "the people". . .we don't give one dime what yinna fighting about! Papa give "we the people" doctor Minnis and said he gone home for good and the good doc is the man to take the party to the next level! So the council of the party and the base of the party "in real life" support him (I should know. . .I have two die-hard FNM family members. . .who used to be papa girls) and they preaching the good doc praises all over the creation! They saying "MINNIS OR NUTTIN"! They don't want LBT! Why is this so?
This makes me wonder. . .if LBT was the best "man" for the job then why PAPA did not give her the leadership of the party. . .and why did he not support her in the last convention. . .and why the "papaites" council still will not support LBT? DO YOU GUYS THINK THAT PAPA. . . WHO FORMED A "WORKING COALITION" WITH THE WHITE FNMS WHEN HE TOOK OVER THEPARTY DO NOT "TRUST" LBT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE WHITE MONIED FNMS?
And pray tell. . .if the council is the body that determines when the convention is held. . .why yinna saying doc will not call a convention? OH. . .that's why yinna saying the doc have "alladem" in his back pocket aye? Lol!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. . .if the good doc done have everybody supporting him except the LBT white minority in the party. . .which he done beat twice for leadership. . .then he is already running the country!!
Now let me tell yall this. . .THEM WHITE PEOPLE OUT FOR MONEY AND CONTROL. . .THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE HALF CONTROL (coalition with Minnis) than have none (what they will get if they stay with LBT). . .THEY WILL EVENTUALLY GO WITH THE DOC! WHICH BRING TO AN INTERESTING JUNCTURE. . .IF THE DOC IS SO DUMB AS THEY SAY HE IS. . .WHY THEY DON'T GIVE HIM SOME MEONEY TO BEAT THE PLP (cat and his brother can beat the PLP right now) AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE AN IDIOT TO CONTROL HOW THEY SEE FIT! THIS CONUNDRUM SPEAKS VOLUME. . . THEY CAN'T CONTROL THE MAN. . .HE HAs HIS OWN MIND! LOL!
YINNA CAN'T SEE THAT THEM WHITE LBT PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE "SHOWING" THEY FACES WITH MINNIS NOW AND AGAIN? SITTING ON THE WALL IF YOU PLEASE! EXPECIALLY THAT ONE WHO USED TO HAVE SUCH A BIG MOUTH. . .NOW HE "SNEGGING" AROUND WITH THE DOC. . .IN PUBLIC! SOMETHING LBT REFUSES TO DO!
THE WHITE OWNED MEDIA AND THEM OTHER WHITE CRITICS "SLOWING DOWN" THEIR "BITE" ON MINNIS HIP. . .AND LBT GONE STREANGLY QUITE.
EVEN FRANK WATSON TALKING THROUGH "TWO SIDES OF HIS MOUTH". . .THEY ARE NOW HEDGING THEIR BETS. . .THEY WILL THROW LBT "UNDER THE BUS" TO SECURE THEIR OWN POCKETS. . ."IF YA CAN'T BEAT HIM JOIN HIM" KINDA LIKE!
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