The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

A candidate vying for the position of Free National Movement chairman in the party’s upcoming convention says the organisation is at a critical point and if it does not have a turnaround, it will be in “serious trouble” come the next general election.

FNM executive member Collin Ingraham is tossing his hat in the ring for the position of party chairman, which is currently held by Carl Culmer.

 Mr Ingraham has had ties to the party since high school. After high school, he was afforded an opportunity to attend the College of The Bahamas by a party scholarship orchestrated by then leader, Hubert Ingraham.

 Mr Ingraham is also a past member of the party’s youth organisation – Torchbearers Youth Association; he was also the chairman of the Marathon Association; was on the management team for several candidates and also served as public relations chair.

 “I believe that the Free National Movement is at a very critical point, that if we don’t get this right this time we are going to be in serious trouble come next election,” he told The Tribune yesterday.

 “It is critical for the party to have, not just another chairman, but to have a chairman who is responsible for the day-to-day organisation of the party. I’ve heard others say that the chairman needs to be articulate and be able to go out and represent the party and speak to the media etcetera.

 “That’s certainly a good thing for a chairman, but a chairman is so much more. The chairman is responsible for the day-to-day organisation of the party. That means every association throughout the length and breadth of this country, including the Women’s Association, including the youth organisation, TYA.”

 He said being chairman is not just about being a talking head, but a real worker.

 “The chairman has to organise the party,” Mr Ingraham said. “That’s a critical part that some seem to forget. Everyone seems focused on being in the limelight, but there is a lot of work that needs to go on behind the scenes.

 “The fact that the FNM got a crushing, embarrassing defeat on September 16, 2021, losing some 10,000 votes is reason enough to realise the work that has to be done.”

 Mr Ingraham, who has a foundation called, “Collin Cares” that takes care of those in need, feels the party needs to reconnect with its “foot soldiers”, who feel disenfranchised, by showing empathy and caring.

 He says he is the right man for the job having been on the team which led the party to several victories at the polls, but always overlooked when it comes to candidacy among other things.

 “Those persons who sat out (did not vote) who are trying to figure out what to do, we need to get them back,” he said. “They support the ideals and principles of the FNM. They support the philosophy, but then somehow when they vote us in, the same thing happens over and over. We forgot about them.

“These people are saying to us, ‘Listen, we haven’t gone anywhere, but we are telling you we are not going to put up with this. You need to get it right this time.’

 “The reason that we lost is that far too many FNMs became disconnected, disenchanted, disrespected and disregarded by the Free National Movement. And, it is going to be a major job for FNMs to come back to our party.”

 He said he is determined to mend relationships with the disenfranchised FNMs and for the most part, the party is heading in that direction. He feels that he is the man for the job, having played so many different roles in the party.

 “I think we made the first step by selecting a new leader,” he said. “That’s good and important, but the other officers who are going to be elected, led by the chairman, are going to be significant. The job that chairman has is one of being a part of the healing and reconnecting to our people, association by association and community by community.

 “I represent those people who have been maligned and disrespected. It’s like we used you to get in and then we forget about you. As a foot soldier and somebody who has been through that over and repeatedly, I have that over all of the persons who are vying for chairman.

 “All of those running for chairman, there is none who can compare with me with regards to having that fundamental connection with the foot soldiers. That’s just not their history. That is mine.”

 Former Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands and former Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson have also announced their bids for FNM chairman.

 The party will hold its next convention in February 2022 when party officers will be elected.