By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson said an incident in which police were called in to the Free National Movement headquarters earlier this week to diffuse a situation was “unfortunate”, telling The Tribune “we really don’t want to be in the headlines every week”.
According to sources within the party, tempers flared on Wednesday night after some members of the Torchbearers Youth Association (TYA) raised concerns that a plot was underway to allegedly “pad votes” to ensure certain candidates were nominated for executive positions. The TYA is the party’s youth arm.
A FNM source who was at the meeting claimed that a group of “noisy, disrespectful” young men with no affiliation to the organisation was brought in and attempted to pay association dues to ensure their votes could be counted when the elections take place next week.
The meeting involved several heated exchanges between members – one in which two women attending had to be parted after one pointed a finger in the other’s face and a shoving match followed, according to a witness.
The other exchange involved one member trying to harm another person by throwing a cell phone.
“What took place at the headquarters on Wednesday night was duplicitous and with good reason we believe it was an outright attempt to cheat,” one association member said.
“This group of boys were not even a part of TYA and many of the established members said they had no idea who they were. Yet still when it was time for the qualified and financial members – meaning they were paid up in terms of dues – to be identified, they stood up. There were certain people there who insisted that they were qualified to be there and pay up,” the source, who spoke on condition on anonymity, said.
“The time was also extended for them when everyone knows that the necessary things should have been done before the meeting. That’s how it’s done.
“But many of us have reached the consensus that the money for them to pay got there late because as soon as certain people arrived, they started collecting forms and getting up to pay.”
When contacted yesterday, TYA President Ronique Brown declined comment, saying there were still too many issues surrounding the meeting that needed to be settled.
Meanwhile party Chairman Michael Pintard said he was not fully aware of the entirety of the situation and could not offer comment. Calls made to FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis went unanswered.
Comments
TruePeople 8 years, 2 months ago
Democracy at work
Publius 8 years, 2 months ago
Is it any wonder that leaders of the youth arm engaged in this cheating activity? They learned it from the leadership of their party, who engaged similar cheating practices to secure their spots in their last electoral event. These older and supposedly mature adults know what they encouraged the youngsters to do, and now that it took an ugly turn, suddenly no one in the party's leadership has any comments to make. At least this story has the events right as opposed to the lies told by Howard Johnson in his comments to the Guardian. And at least some of the young people of the party took an open stand against cheating and unconstitutional practices, something the older adults of their party failed and refused to do when they knew what was going on in the run up to their last convention. The FNM has gone from a somewhat respectable organization to a bottom-of-the-barrel image of what they once appeared to be.
DDK 8 years, 2 months ago
It really is a great shame and leaves the Country in a very dangerous position!
moncurcool 8 years, 2 months ago
The youth arm of the party was protesting the alleged cheating activity. They were not the ones allegedly doing it. At lease it speaks to our youth standing up or right.
Publius 8 years, 2 months ago
Some were doing it and others were protesting - that is what the protest was about - members trying to cheat to retain the posts they currently hold. The outside persons brought to the meeting were brought by members, that is how they got there and that is what the protesting was all about. Persons were brought in to take part in an electoral process they are not eligible to take part in.
TalRussell 8 years, 2 months ago
by TalRussell
sheeprunner12 8 years, 2 months ago
Lord Jesus ....... please bring this PLP regime to a swift and permanent end ....... and raise up some real committed national leaders
killemwitdakno 8 years, 2 months ago
It's going to be the them to make things right. They say somebody in the way.
Godson 8 years, 2 months ago
WE ARE SICK & TIRED OF CORRUPTION IN ANY FORM:
People throughout this Country, and irrespective of their political affiliation (FNM, UBP, PLP, DNA or unaffiliated) are sick and tired of corruption in any form, and, at whatever level it appears. IT STINKS and corrodes at the dignity of our politics.
It is indeed unfortunate that the FNM continues to make the news in the news media negative columns; however, this latest turmoil did well to expose the rottenness that goes on even at the constituency branch levels when voting for branch officers.
I, for one, am appreciative that someone in that meeting decided to express that they have had had enough with the corruption. Too long many of us have endured and allowed this corrupt practice to go on thinking that it is alright to be a little tolerant. But now... enough is enough! You cannot leave it to selfish and ambitious persons to know when it is enough.
When we conduct our in-house election like this, we are showing the public, as I came away saying... we are the 'HALF A DOZEN OF ONE" and they are the "SIX OF THE OTHER": the same!
Godson 'Nicodemus' Johnson
sheeprunner12 8 years, 2 months ago
If young people (18-25) vote for any of these old deadhead politicians ....... they are phocked
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