The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER FNM candidate for Elizabeth Dr Duane Sands strongly aligned himself with his party’s leaders yesterday, a week after he said the FNM has “not gained the traction that (it) ought to have” with the Bahamian people in view of the government’s missteps.

He was speaking on the Ortland Bodie show a week after he said he was considering making a run for party leader.

He said the FNM is “focused on riding the Bahamian people of this incompetent government. Everything else is secondary.”

He added: “The leadership question within the FNM really is a moot point at this point because there is a leader, we support that leader, I support that leader, we have one leader, we have on deputy leader, we have one chairman, we have two deputy chairmen. That is the way it is and the people who want to rise in speculation in the meantime can go right ahead.”

As for the PLP, he accused the government of moving “to distract the Bahamian people from the reality of crime, of VAT, of employment and anything they can do to raise that smokescreen. They will point out why the FNM is this and Ingraham is this and Minnis is this, all intended to get people to turn away from their failures in government.”

Asked if attempts are being made to recruit DNA leader Branville McCartney to the FNM, he said: “We see how important it is to go out in the community and reclaim those who share the vision of the FNM. Unlike the governing party, there is much more tolerance for dissension. I think that is what makes the FNM so strong. Every single voter will be courted by the FNM, whether they voted for PLP or DNA.”