The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FNM Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner once again denied a rift between herself and party leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday, despite Dr Minnis publicly distancing himself from a protest she intended to lead.

Dr Minnis told The Tribune on Tuesday that the demonstration was “not an FNM event” and has “nothing to do with the party.”

For months, both leaders have reportedly been at odds, with party insiders saying that in most instances there is little to “no real communication” between the two.

However, speaking with The Tribune, Mrs Butler-Turner defended Dr Minnis comments saying he spoke with the press before she had an opportunity to update him on her plans. In fact, she said once she spoke with the party leader Tuesday evening, she not only received his full support, but also the support of her other Parliamentary colleagues.

Mrs Butler Turner blamed the entire situation on “miscommunication”, but admitted she would have handled it differently if she were Dr Minnis.

“I would not have handled it that way, but each one of us is different. What happened is I sent all of my Parliamentary colleagues an email on Monday detailing my plans. However, Dr Minnis told me he didn’t get the email and then said ‘Oh by the way, I spoke with the media and told them I did not know anything about this demonstration. So everyone was shocked to see his comments in the paper this morning,” he said.

“We all communicate via email, but he said he did not get it that day. But once I spoke with him I got his support for my initiative as well as the support from my colleagues. However, at this point we have postponed the march and have decided to take another avenue.”

In a press release issued last night, FNM Chairman Darron Cash said he agrees that Bahamians should march in “protest of the PLP’s failure and deceit on the mortgage relief programme.” However he questioned who should lead that protest.

“Furthermore,” he said, “the Deputy’s statement should be taken in context. Yes, she did call for people to join her. However, the inference was very clear that the issue would be discussed with her Parliamentary colleagues to assess their perspectives. The issue was in fact discussed and the consensus position was precisely as was well articulated by the party leader Dr Hubert Minnis – the Party would not lead such a march or demonstration. The team understood that the FNM’s involvement in any such protest as a lead organizer – at this time – would immediately give the Government further excuse for under-performance by insisting that the people’s protest was politically motivated.”

In an interview earlier this week, Mrs Butler-Turner said the Prime Minister abused his power when he called the managing director of a bank and stopped the repossession of the home of VAT coordinator Ishmael Lightbourne. Mrs Butler-Turner then urged activists and struggling homeowners to join her and the FNM in a peaceful protest outside Parliament to demonstrate against Prime Minister Perry Christie.

However, Mrs Butler Turner said the protest for now has been postponed as she has “other initiatives in the works.”