The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

MICHAEL Pintard, Free National Movement leader called on FNMs to return to some of the principles that guided the party in 1992, during a service commemorating the party’s first victory at the the polls 30 years ago.

At a service of thanksgiving at Evangelistic Temple on Collins Avenue, party members of the FNM past and present, including former prime ministers Hubert Ingraham and Dr Hubert Minnis, came together to mark the occasion.

On August 19, 1992, the FNM under the leadership of Mr Ingraham won 32 of 49 seats ushering in what Mr Pintard called the emergence of the modern Bahamas.

During his remarks, Mr Pintard highlighted that the first FNM government liberalised the Bahamian airwaves for the first time and restored investor confidence in the country. In addition to remarking that accountability and transparency became hallmarks of that government, Mr Pintard said that he hoped to return the FNM to these guiding principles.

“It is important to govern effectively and the truth is that many times there are persons who have the ability to win but not necessarily the ability to govern,” Mr Pintard said. “And this is precisely why that cultural change ushered in by the 1992 team must be the guiding light for what we do going forward and one of those prisms of that guiding light is that the Free National Movement leadership understands that we work for the Bahamian people.

Hubert Ingraham ingrained that in many of us who followed him either closely or from a distance, that we are your employees. You get to decide when you’ve had sufficient of our leadership and you make a determination on when we transition. That is an important lesson. The second prism of that light that we ought to be honest in the way we manifest leadership in The Bahamas.

“We have come here today to ask you and your members to pray for our leadership past and present. To pray that we would govern with humility, to pray that we would be inclusive in our decision making, that while we represent this incredibly beautiful red, that we ought to govern in a manner that includes all Bahamians.

“And finally we ought to recognise what brought us into politics. We came to politics to change people’s lives for the better. It’s not a come up, it’s not an opportunity to put something else on the resume, it’s not an opportunity to start a business or a company. It’s an opportunity after we’ve been touched by infirmities and afflictions of our people to use all of the talents that we have to improve their lives for the better.”

Mr Pintard ended his speech by giving his heartfelt thanks to the FNM’s leaders of 1992 for their service and setting the standard to which his party should continue to aspire.

Reverend Vaughn Cash of Evangelistic Temple in his sermon, while calling the leader of the opposition a skillful orator, said that he needed to humble himself before the people and the Lord in order to succeed politically.

“Mr Pintard, God gave me these scriptures here for you,” he said. “You are a young man. God gave me them for you. There will be a lot of people who will tell you what they feel you need to do, where they feel you need to go, how they feel they need you to do this and need you to do that. There will be a whole lot of people who will try to script your future and try to outline the road that you are to walk on going forward to the next election, but God says to you, sir, in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path.

“Promotion, God’s promotion doesn’t come from the East, doesn’t come from the west, doesn’t come from the north, doesn’t come from the wilderness. God is looking for people with a heart towards, a people with an ear to hear his voice, a people with a willingness to obey him and follow his direction. And if you go, my friend, if you go my friends and it’s God’s will for you to govern this country again then nothing can stop it.”

The service concluded with a presentation of plaques of appreciation to the entire slate of FNM ministers from 1992.

Speaking on behalf of himself and the other honorees, including his father Orville Turnquest, former party leader Tommy Turnquest thanked event organisers for their awards. Mr Turnquest also extended special thanks to former prime minister Ingraham for his steadfast leadership as the first FNM Prime Minister in 1992.

“On behalf of the entire slate of FNM candidates that contested the August 19, 1992 election, we thank the leader, the executives and the members of this great party for honouring us in this way.

“While we justly give credit and honour to the right honourable Hubert Alexander Ingraham who led us to victory, it was necessary upon each of us as standard bearers to be the best that we could’ve been, to work hard in our constituencies and to represent the brand of the FNM to the best of our ability. Back then we were mobilised by a fearless committed leader, one whose love for The Bahamas remains steadfast and undisputed up to this day. Thank you, thank you prime minister (Ingraham),” Mr Turnquest said.

Mr Turnquest also pledged to continue to offer advice and service to the current FNM party to ensure its success.