By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
AN ANGRY former Free National Movement MP yesterday blasted party executives over the removal of certain Central Council members, despite party Chairman Michael Pintard’s emphatic statement that past election hopefuls would not be excluded from the body.
The former MP, who wanted to remain anonymous, told The Tribune that he along with six others were asked to relinquish their seats on the council which would mean they no longer have voting rights within the party.
Among those who were asked to leave the council, the former MP, said were BJ Moss, Phenton Neymour, Heather Hunt, Zhivargo Laing, Desmond Bannister, Byron Woodside and Kenyatta Gibson.
They were the losing candidates for Nassau Village, Exuma and Ragged Island, Marathon, Fort Charlotte, North Andros and Berry Islands, Pinewood, and Southern Shores, respectively in the 2012 general election.
According to the FNM’s constitution, any election candidate “who is not otherwise a council member shall be accorded membership for one calendar year after a general election or until a new candidate is selected.”
According to a well-placed source in the FNM, a motion was passed in January 2015 that extended the time former candidates could remain on the council, until December 31, 2015. The source added that if the party’s leadership had violated the FNM’s constitution, senior lawyers within the party would be up in arms.
However the former MP voiced concerns over this saying he could not see the sense in removing members while the FNM remains in opposition and needs all the support it can get heading into the next general election.
“There is strength in numbers. It just makes no political sense at this time,” the former MP said. “Why remove the people who were already on the Central Council?
“If you have started to name candidates, it would have only been a matter of time before what the constitution says about membership in the council would have taken effect. But if you have not named anyone for certain seats, then what is the rush?
“To me and the others, this is a plot by Dr Minnis to rid the council of everyone who were supporters of and brought in by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. We suppose that this is so that none of these people will influence any votes.”
Last week, the FNM ratified its first eight candidates including Shonell Ferguson –Fox Hill; Don Saunders -Tall Pines; Frankie Campbell - Southern Shores; Leonard Sands - Bain and Grants Town; Dr Duane Sands – Elizabeth; Halston Moultrie - Nassau Village; Howard Johnson - South Beach; Zendal Forbes - South and Central Andros.
Following the ratification Mr Pintard said should past hopefuls want to still remain on the council they needed only to write him a request. He said no petition would be denied.
It came the day after a disheartened former FNM council member insisted that there was an “underhanded” move under way inside the opposition to oust former election candidates who are a part of the party’s Central Council and replace them with new hopefuls to “stack the odds” in favour of FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis.
Last night, another disheartened former FNM council member again lashed out at Dr Minnis saying the party has not been truthful in how it has handled past council members.
In a letter sent to The Tribune, the angry FNM said either Mr Pintard has been left out in the cold by the party’s leadership, or he is being less than straightforward with the Bahamian people.
Either way, his recent statements regarding the party’s Central Council are yet another stark indication of the “utter chaos into which our beloved party has fallen,” the letter writer said.
Comments
TruePeople 8 years, 3 months ago
These fool dem worried about the "utter chaos into which our beloved party has fallen"......
What about the Damn Country?!?!?!?! stop worrying about your title and status and actually do ya job. i ein sorry of none of them because guess wha, if they was doing they job, they wouldn't be kicked from council, they wouldn't have lose their constituency, they wouldn't be a completely redundant waste of space and wages in our political system!!
Kick them out completely!
Godson 8 years, 3 months ago
Boi... you try really hard to disguise your intelligence... but I can see through it. During the trial of Christ, it was said, "Your speech betrays you". In any event, you right!!! let's do our job and it won't be so bad.
Publius 8 years, 3 months ago
Here we go again with these cowardly FNMs wanting to remain anonymous and the Tribune continuing to facilitate this tabloid-style foolishness. Why didn't this person make this noise in council itself? Why would you leave the most powerful body in your party and come run to the Tribune with a limp-wristed mask over your face? If your party means so much to you why the heck wont you stand up for it like men and women instead of hiding behind the pens of newspaper editors? Either way, the Bahamian people do not care about what is happening in your party and this is the actual reality that these people refuse to accept. With all that is happening in this nation, nobody cares about a bunch of people in a party who are too hapless and worthless to preserve what they are coming crying to the public about via the papers. The FNM is an embarrassment now. If this coward is so concerned about how the FNM looks or stands going into the next election, why is he taking council matters to a national daily?
Emac 8 years, 3 months ago
Agree!
The_Oracle 8 years, 3 months ago
Good riddance, move forward.
Honestman 8 years, 3 months ago
Look, Bahamian citizens have more pressing concerns right now than the FNM's internal politics. If Minnis is to be your leader then get behind him. If you don't want him then get him out BUT DO IT SOON because the country needs a strong an united opposition party heading into election year.
Publius 8 years, 3 months ago
right
realfreethinker 8 years, 3 months ago
A real coward he or she should get kick in their ass on the way out
Godson 8 years, 3 months ago
... that is prepared to be the Government; to continue with what you were saying.
TalRussell 8 years, 3 months ago
Comrades is it fair says that the high frequency this one particular "remain anonymous" red source popping into this one particular story has gotta left more than a few Tribune detractor readers to be thinking, if they are going "unnamed" cause they never did really exist in da red flesh?
Can it be just me own curiosity why it sure as hell does feels likes "Fisherman's from Cooper's Town" keeps sprungin ups me much skeptical mind?
banker 8 years, 3 months ago
Naw, dems jest want to erase da Fisherman influence, especially his "son" from the other side of the blanket .... wink ... wink ...
birdiestrachan 8 years, 3 months ago
Mr:Pintard is a very good fib teller. he lies as fast as he can talk. Mr: Roberts should leave them alone with whom ever they choose to run on their party ticket. The worst they do. the better for his party. But my question is why is Mr: Pintard always on some Highway with a lot of traffic talking to news reporters from the FNM TV station?
iamcitizen 8 years, 3 months ago
I have a question for all of you hypocritics who have posted negative comments herein above. Why are all of you using nom de plumes as signatures for your posts? Are you all hiding as well? Are you all cowards? Hmmmm? I'm certain that just as the former FNM Candidate has a good reason for not disclosing his/her name so do you all.LOL…LOL.
Publius 8 years, 3 months ago
This person is a moron. None of us hold posts in a major political party and are running to the media for the media to do for us what we are too cowardly to do for ourselves. Are you putting us on the same level as a member and former candidate of the FNM who feels aggrieved about voting rights in their party? Obviously this person who is also hiding, had something to do with this story, because anyone who defends people hiding on matters they ought to be man or woman enough to show their face and name about, has an interest in why these trite and frankly useless tactics are being employed!
Emac 8 years, 3 months ago
Yep
Godson 8 years, 3 months ago
What is you actual name? Mine is actually Godson Andrew Johnson, aka Nicodemus.
Fitmiss 8 years, 3 months ago
Unless I am mistaken, persons who lost in the constituency they were running in, were asked to step down from the council? I do not mean to sound callous but this is not some Scouts or Junior Achievement group. We are discussing the effective running of a country. The lost of your seat to another party, sends the picture that the people do not wish for you to represent them. Let us now find someone else to sit in those seats. I am saddened as some of those persons were seasoned veterans, but we have to make way for others to now sit on the council. If those dismissed feel disenfranchised they can speak out or/and join another party. Also this anonymous thing shows me that if elected, you may also be afraid to stand up for your constituents. If you feel so strongly about what you are doing then do it openly. As for those of us writing on this forum under an alias, those who know me, know I am always on the frontline and as a Unionist, I have even had a former employer attempt to sue me.
Godson 8 years, 3 months ago
What then is you actual name? Mine is actually Godson Andrew Johnson, aka Nicodemus.
TalRussell 8 years, 3 months ago
Comrade Fitmiss, the "many" failed 2012 General's red candidates were indeed rejected by voters. If you either get rejected for a job or fired, how can you expect be hanging around a company's offices or premises?They would call the policeman's come remove you're red backsides?
Likewise, didn't the red party's convention delegates just recently do their own vetting "against" Loretta?
banker 8 years, 3 months ago
Exactly.
Greentea 8 years, 3 months ago
Well... Dr. Sands lost his bid for a seat a couple times and he was in the first group named as candidates...Why him and not Bannister and Hunt for instance who lost- but ran well in my opinion. I never thought I would hear this come out of my mouth and PLP Roberts might have used flowery language in his rebuke- but he ain't far off. Disappointing Mr. Pintard. I expected better from you. So please do better with the next batch. And VET these people- Don't ask their friends and family about them- ask people who used to work for them, from the lowest to the highest on the totem pole. Frankly you should have asked some clients and employees of the first 8.....A couple of them won't be elected dog catcher after things get hot.
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