The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner said she is actively seeking the support of the 400 plus delegates who will be voting at the FNM’s upcoming convention.

“I am looking for the endorsement of the 410 delegates that are voting at that convention,” she told reporters in Grand Bahama on Thursday.

“The best endorsement I can get is from the majority of those votes, it doesn’t matter who physically or verbally endorses me; the best endorsement I can get is from those votes going in the box.”

Her comments came after she was asked if she would be lobbying former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham for an endorsement.

Mrs Butler-Turner – who was in Freeport speaking at the Rotary of Club of Freeport’s installation luncheon on Thursday – was bombarded by persons wanting to take photographs with her.

During an interview with reporters, the MP stressed that the country is in crisis and is looking for strong leadership to turn it around.

“I think it is most important that this challenge I am going after is really for the turning around of our country,” she said.

“I believe while there will be differences and choice for leadership in the FNM, I think the important question on the minds of the delegates should really be what is the best and strongest team that would be able to take out this inept government.”

“At the end of the day there is nobody in the FNM that I have an issue with… my issue and my fight goes to the electorate. I would love for the delegates to support me because I believe that I would be the person who would be able to wage the strongest battle to get rid of Perry Christie and this inept government.”

Despite her failed leadership bid at the 2014 FNM convention, Mrs Butler-Turner said she was able to look at it not as a loss, but as a lesson and an opportunity to become “the better person” that she is now.

“When I travelled to South Africa last year, I was able to walk in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela. I was able to grab a lot of the strong important sayings that he used, and as I was evolving and transforming myself, I looked at what (he) was; I sat in his cell and I looked at some of the strong words of wisdom, and one of them I took away that I thought was important to my life, was what he said: ‘I never lose, I either win or I learn.’ And so for me, having lost once before, the lesson, the more important thing is that I was able to introspect, look at my criticisms, look at my critics and determined I needed to transform, I needed to renew my spirit, I needed to become more spiritual, more fitter, a better MP and a better servant of the people.

“And so for me today, I feel like the winner I am; you can see it; it is a different me, but it’s also a better me.”

When asked about comments from DNA Leader Branville McCartney that the FNM will not recover from its infighting in time for the next election, she said his remarks have no merit.

“… The difference between them (the DNA) and the FNM is that we actually have seats in Parliament. (Based) on his judgment and his past in performance I think that clearly what he has to say with regard to the FNM bears little merit.”

Mrs Butler-Turner said it is never too late for the party to unite and come together.

“The six MPs that have lost confidence in Dr Minnis are standing very strongly and very firmly behind the hopes that we can work together to become a stronger opposition, and that we can march into the battle field against the PLP… to take PLP out and turn this country around and get it back on the right track.”

Mrs Butler-Turner also said that Bahamians have lost their trust in the Christie administration.