The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter 

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net 

THE Free National Movement ratified four additional candidates last night, pushing its slate to 29 as the party accelerates preparations for the next general election.

The candidates ratified at the party’s headquarters on Market Street included FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands for Bamboo Town, Denarii Rolle for Pinewood, Frazette Gibson for Central Grand Bahama, and Heather Hunt for Elizabeth.

FNM leader Michael Pintard said the party was satisfied with the pace of its rollout and confident in the calibre of the candidates selected.

He said the party believed the constituencies would benefit from candidates it regarded as capable and grounded in community service.

Speaking after his ratification for Bamboo Town, Dr Sands said the mood within the party was energised and described the selection process as deliberate.

“There’s a level of electricity. People are energised, they’re fired up, they’re ready to go,” Dr Sands said.

He said the party’s focus was on service rather than personal ambition.

He addressed his move from Elizabeth, where he previously served as a Member of Parliament.

“They gave me the privilege to serve in the House of Assembly,” he said. “They have a formidable candidate in Heather Hunt, and she will be an excellent representative.”

He said the FNM aimed to strike a balance between experienced figures and first-time candidates across New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands.

“We look to take five straight,” he said, referring to Grand Bahama constituencies. “It is all about the strategy.”

Elizabeth candidate Heather Hunt said she had already begun canvassing and was focused on listening to residents.

She said residents raised concerns about flooding, potholes, speeding, crime and the rising cost of living.

“People in Elizabeth have the same concerns that the nation has. It’s very expensive to live,” she said.

Asked about contesting the seat against PLP MP Jobeth Coleby Davis, Ms Hunt said she was confident.

“Politics is a numbers game,” she said. “At the end of the day, when the votes are counted, they’ll be voting for Heather Hunt and the FNM.”

Pinewood candidate Denarii Rolle said flooding would be a central focus of his campaign, arguing the problem persisted because of poor maintenance and a lack of follow-through.

“I’ve been doing community service for the past 15 years,” Mr Rolle said, adding that he had been canvassing the constituency for more than a year.

“One of the things this government needs to do is get proactive,” he said, noting that similar commitments had been made as far back as 2022.

“Some of the drains are just clogged, and there’s nowhere for the water to go,” Mr Rolle said.

He said he had begun mapping drainage infrastructure and intended to work with Ministry of Works engineers on immediate and long-term solutions.

“I want to turn their issue into their resource,” he said.

Central Grand Bahama candidate Frazette Gibson said she was humbled by her ratification and described her candidacy as rooted in lived experience.

Ms Gibson said she was born, raised, works and lives in Central Grand Bahama and framed her campaign around unity and collective responsibility.

“We belong together, Central Grand Bahama, not divided by differences, but united by purpose, not discouraged by challenges, but strengthened by resilience,” she said.

She said she envisioned leadership that listened and development that benefited all residents.