Killarney MP and Former Prime Minister Hubert Minnis speaks during his campaign launch for Free National Movement (FNM) Party Leader at Baha Mar on May 17, 2024. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
Ex-ministers state support for Pintard in leadership race
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has little public support from the people he led in Cabinet ahead of the FNM’s one-day convention next month, with most people he appointed to executive roles telling The Tribune they support Michael Pintard for leader.
Brensil Rolle, Pakeisha Parker-Edgecombe, Darren Henfield, Dion Foulkes, and Elsworth Johnson all told The Tribune yesterday that they support Mr Pintard. Peter Turnquest, Dr Duane Sands and Brent Symonette had previously endorsed Mr Pintard. Dionisio D’Aguliar and Kwasi Thompson declined to comment, while Frankie Campbell and Iram Lewis were reluctant to give their view, insisting they would support whoever delegates choose.
Neither former Attorney General Carl Bethel nor former Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira responded to calls or messages from this newspaper on the topic. Jeff Lloyd, the former education minister, said his view is “immaterial” because he cannot vote at the convention.
Dr Minnis, who believes he kept the country stable despite the massive challenge posed by Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic, has said he has unfinished business.
He said if re-elected prime minister, he would remove value-added tax (VAT) from breadbasket items and medicine, introduce more tax exemptions on food products, invest more in Bahamian youth and reform the country’s immigration policies.
However, from his Cabinet, only former Health Minister Renward Wells and former Works Minister Desmond Bannister have publicly endorsed him.
“He’s been tried, tested and proven through the most difficult circumstances and trying times in this country,” Mr Wells told The Tribune at Dr Minnis’ campaign launch last week.
Several former ministers said they are supporting Mr Pintard because he is an “inclusive” leader.
“He reminds me a lot, to be honest, of our former prime minister, the right honourable Hubert Ingraham, in the sense that he says what he means and he does what he says. He’s for the people,” said Ms Parker-Edgecombe.
Mr Foulkes, a former party chairman and deputy leader, supported Mr Pintard at the last leadership convention and saw no reason to change his vote.
“I think he has done a good job in terms of running the internal organs of the party,” he said. “During all of the parliamentary debate, his contributions have been very informative, and I think he’s done an excellent job over the last two and half years.”
Mr Henfield said he supports Mr Pintard because he believes he can push the party forward.
“I saw a resurgence in the way council meetings were attended, in the way executive meetings were attended, and we really came back together to be what we are now,” he said. “We’re still working hard to become the next government of The Bahamas, and I think as a leader, he has placed us in this position.”
The former Cabinet ministers were not critical of Dr Minnis.
Mr Johnson, for instance, said his support for Mr Pintard “doesn’t change my admiration, love and respect for Dr Minnis and he knows that. And I’ve made it clear that my support for Mr Pintard is not blind loyalty.”
Mr Rolle, the former Public Services Minister, offered more pointed comments, saying the former prime minister should step aside instead of forcing his way into the party’s leadership.
He said while Dr Minnis “has a right to put his name in nomination, Bahamians have not yet forgiven him for the kind of things that happened while he was prime minister and he should’ve waited until the call from the Bahamian people rather than seeking to force his way back into politics, back into leadership”.
The former ministers said they would support the party regardless of the outcome of the convention, which will be held under the theme “Forward Stronger” at Baha Mar. “The FNM has a history of very contentious leadership fights, and we also have a history of coming together after that fight, and I have no doubt that on June 2nd, all of the various factions of the party would come together to battle and beat the PLP at the next general election,”
said Mr Foulkes.
Comments
moncurcool 3 weeks, 2 days ago
I really respect the comments of Brensil Role. Minnis is trying to force himself back. He has learned nothing.
stillwaters 3 weeks, 2 days ago
These old politicians are just like booga on the end of your finger....hard to rub them off ....
K4C 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Oh the DRAMA
DonAnthony 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Minnis had his chance and failed, can he just enjoy his comfortable retirement and let a new, hopefully more competent FNM lead without his constant interference ?
sheeprunner12 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Interesting article
The media can be a dangerous tool to influence the masses.
If Brave is endorsing Pintard ...... FNMs should take serious note of its implications.
No one supported Churchill for PM ahead of World War 2. And look what happened after that.
realfreethinker 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Minnis was soundly rejected during the last election and he lost a leadership race since that. What has he done that would make him think he has support?
ThisIsOurs 3 weeks, 2 days ago
"if Brave is supporting Pintard"????
Didn't the PLP just give Minnis a warm and resounding welcome to Parliament as the "real" leader. You've just given us breaking news that that was all a show meant to deceive Minnis and boost false confidence as Brave, and I guess by extension, the PLP party are really behind Pintard!
Observer 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Mr. Foulkes puts the party's main objective in perspective, i.e. 'beat the P.L.P.'
TalRussell 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Village Road's Comrade Branville McCartney, has a view of himself as the colony's "alternative deputy premiership in waiting". — And everything and everyones' else is like this and that – Convention delegates - along with Comrade Thomas Desmond Bannister, are being snubbed scrubbed! --- Yes?
ThisIsOurs 3 weeks, 2 days ago
I think Bran sees DPM as his way in. I dont see him playing second fiddle for long... but... I could be wrong.
birdiestrachan 3 weeks, 2 days ago
The PLP has been good for the average Bahamian the FNM makes sure the rich gets richer the shipping port can increase their fees the cost of living is. Affected by the cost of shipping
truetruebahamian 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Fool
moncurcool 3 weeks, 2 days ago
I do not comment to foolishness, but this is the most unintelligent, ignorant, lack of common sense and blind political statement ever made.
stillwaters 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Birdie, are you insane?
ThisIsOurs 3 weeks, 2 days ago
I sometimes fluctuate between thinking birdie is an intelligent person hiding their identity under a facade of pure unadulterated dumbness to being horrified that these statements could be pure creations of a birdie brain
birdiestrachan 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Who is worse Mr Pintard or the doc Pintard may not go all over the world calling the Bahamas corrupt
May be more approachable he is the toggie and boggie man how low will he go. Remains to be seen
stillwaters 3 weeks, 2 days ago
But we are corrupt from the head down to the toe
TalRussell 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Possibilities to grow membership byTenfold in the Coalition of Independents' (COI).. Invest in setting up a 1 June stall out at Baha Mar Resort as a membership recruitment tool to attract a fair number of disgruntled RedShirts' convention delegates and attendees' --- Switch over to (COI). --- Yes?
sheeprunner12 3 weeks, 2 days ago
These FNM ex-Cabinet members are playing possum ........ no one knows who they will vote for on June 1.
Pintard is a tin foil hat tyrant ........... so, they are telling him what he wants to hear ahead of the "convention"
ExposedU2C 3 weeks, 2 days ago
This nasty, evil, demonic and tyrannical lout is as delusional and full of himself as they come. Surely by now even the most loyal FNM voters in the Killarney constituency must realise that come the next general election they would be doing the FNM party and the country a great favour if they stayed at home or at work rather than cast a vote for this most cruel monster.
DillyTree 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Time for Dr. Minnis to go quietly this time. He's past his sell date.
As a Kilarney constituent, I will not be voting if Dr. Minnis stands for the Hilarney district. I will not vote for this man -- EVER AGAIN! His record speaks for itself, and his underhanded nasty ways even flounder. He does not promote nor encourage new leadership, but clings to his old selfish egottistical ways -- not for the betterment of the Bahamas. Please, Dr. Minnis, go away!
joeblow 3 weeks, 2 days ago
... I would take COVID over Minnis any day! Worst, most authoritarian PM ever!
sheeprunner12 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Bulla, what you smoking?????
You ain't living in Nassau under the New Day, hey????
ExposedU2C 3 weeks, 1 day ago
Stumpy Davis, unlike Demonic Minnis, does not yet have his hands stained with the blood of thousands of Bahamians. But the hurricane season will soon be upon us and we do know that Stumpy Davis and his Cabinet of the Most Incompetent have done absolutely nothing to prepare our country so as to minimise the great loss of life that occurs both during and in the immediate aftermath of a Cat 4+ hurricane.
TalRussell 3 weeks, 2 days ago
A convention win for Pintard can still be a LOSS! --- Even those delegates are not openly identifying with the Minnis/McCartney camp– doesn't mean they're prepared to ride a Pintard horsey into another by or general election. --- Yes?
Porcupine 3 weeks, 2 days ago
Look at all these comments about politics in The Bahamas. What some call divide and conquer flies swiftly over our heads. What change has ever come about by voting here? Look at any statistic concerning the current state of this country. Economic, social, educational, fiscal. criminal, judicial So, what is it that could be attributed to this unmitigated and complete national failure? Does anyone think this is a healthy country poised to offer such promise to our kids? Some, such as myself, must call it for what it is. We are circling the drain. Decade after decade, we continue to choose people who enrich and engorge themselves on OUR money. They steal it by a thousand cuts. And yet, what gets us engaged are a bunch of people who have gotten us to where we are today. No real solutions, (read PM's comments on BPL today's Tribune), just more empty words. So, Tribune commenters, why are we still in this lowly state of affairs where a handful of people are enriching themselves while the rest of us scramble to make it at all. Is it that we just can't find the right "leaders", or, is there a much deeper social explanation for our unarguable failure as a nation?
Sickened 3 weeks, 1 day ago
I'm with you. I'm voting for Disney next election. Let them buy or manage the country and come in and make this country one big profitable resort.
ExposedU2C 3 weeks, 1 day ago
I guess you don't know that Disney is now effectively owned by the ChiComs. Never have the costumes of the official Mickey, Minnie and other Disney characters been adorned with so much ornate yellow gold. Then again, may be you do know.
ThisIsOurs 3 weeks ago
"or, is there a much deeper social explanation for our unarguable failure as a nation?"
Theres as deeper social issue.
A very large percentage of the Bahamian population see nothing wrong with engaging in illegal activity if you can make a profit. If the US were to release the tapes I'm sure we'd find a good percentage of businesses and the forward advancement of individuals was funded by the 80's drug era. Then came illegal gaming with these men allowed to not only hold on to the proceeds to crime but to ascend to high office, some representing the Bahamas. Then we get the politician accepting rolex watches as gifts, and demanding 5000 dollars or more from contractors for every low cost home contract awarded. You cant make this up. We simply cannot distinguish between good and bad if money is involved. Look at FTX I'm "almost" sure Brave would have sold New Providence and everybody's first grandchild into slavery if Sam had asked him to. Something was also up with Oban, Minnis was acting like a crazy person trying to pull that over the finish line by himself, you'd almost think he was poised to make millions if it went through.
Bahamians call these people "smart". And the 17 year old boys in the inner city (or wherever they are) with automatic rifles, killing people and robbing banks want to be just like them. Rich fast.
That's why we're failing.
birdiestrachan 3 weeks, 1 day ago
Check the record history will show that the PLP has done more to lift up the average Bahamian NIB University of the Bahamas free high school education. NHI cuss me uponeside and down the other facts are stubborn the Fnm party enriches the rich and they say wait for the trickle down what it is wait for the crumbs from the master table
Porcupine 3 weeks, 1 day ago
birdie, Who do you write these comments for? Who can understand such complete nonsense?
ExposedU2C 2 weeks, 6 days ago
I very seldom bother to waste my time reading (much less replying to) anything posted to this website by either @birdiestrachan or @TalRussell. From my standpoint, their gibberish should always just be completely ignored for what they themselves intend it to be, i.e. nothing but meaningless and uninteresting gobbledegook lacking in even amusement. Some think they are ChiCom planted robot trolls. LOL
Twocent 2 weeks, 6 days ago
Minnis’ leadership through Covid started off as being rational….and then the power-players came and he cringed and said the nation needed to get vaccinated. Now look at the apologies from Pfizer, the statistics on the outcomes, the rapidly rising turbo-cancer rates, the retraction oof mRNA usage by various governments because of vaccine/ clot related morbidity, the studies that damn such experimental biowarfare, etc etc…..do I trust him? NO I DONT! I know more Bahamians who have died or nearly died because they got the vax than I ever heard of in COVID! But THIS present government got ta go man! Still no transparency! Still got corruption! Still wanna talk about the climate problem but buying BMW! I am sick of career politicians. Time for new blood. Time for service to the people. Time for transparency. Time for true independence and not more debt!
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