FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
IN A potential power move, several key members of the Free National Movement’s (FNM) Finance Committee have reportedly indicated that they are no longer willing to remain among the body of party members tasked with ensuring the organisation has the funds required to co-ordinate a successful 2017 election campaign, The Tribune understands.
While their motives are unclear, sources within the party told this newspaper on Friday that some Finance Committee members remain dissatisfied with the leadership of FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis.
The reported mass abandoning of the FNM’s finance team is said to have taken place at its luncheon on Thursday.
“They told Dr Minnis before the convention to step down because to them he doesn’t have the wherewithal,” an FNM insider said. “They also said if you came out the convention as the leader we will not support you. So it was no surprise last night that there are those of them who said they did not want to carry on.”
This comes three weeks after a tumultuous FNM convention in which Dr Minnis again emerged as party leader after former challenger, Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner, dropped out of the race before delegates cast ballots.
It further confirms speculation that the party remains disjointed following the convention, despite calls by party executives for unity.
However, when asked about these reports, former Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette denied that the party’s finance committee resigned at their luncheon meeting on Thursday. Mr Symonette has been a member of the committee for about 40 years.
Although he said this was not true, Mr Symonette did suggest that at Thursday’s meeting, as some members had been on the committee for so many years, they should give Dr Minnis a chance to select his own committee.
“He should have the unfettered right,” said Mr Symonette, “to invite persons he feels would be able to collect party funds to join the committee.”
Mr Symonette, who once quipped that “once an FNM, always an FNM”, added that if called upon to do so he would always help the party, and, if invited, might consider serving again on the finance committee.
Meanwhile, another FNM supporter suggested that Mr Symonette was simply trying to “save face” in attempt to save the party from a potential public relations disaster.
The insider insisted that the party was facing “serious problems” if it could not procure the campaign funding needed to challenge the governing Progressive Liberal Party with the general elections eight months away.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 2 months ago
Who in their right mind would fund a political party led by Minnis thereby supporting his efforts to become PM? Deep pockets know Bahamian voters have certainly been foolish at the polls in past general elections, but they are not insane. Allowing Minnis to be elected PM would be the very definition of insanity! Lord knows, Christie needs to be given the boot in the next general election, but must at the same time ensure Minnis never becomes PM as he would be, as difficult as it is to imagine, much worse than Christie has been or could ever be.
theplpsucks 8 years, 2 months ago
if Perry Christie the worst Prime Minister ever in the Bahamas can be given another chance by PLPs why cant Minnis be given a chance? we see what we got with Christie, we havent given Minnis a chance to run the country as yet and cant be judged until he does. I sometimes wonder what Bahamians want, perhaps its another five years of the PLP, anything is better than that.
Reality_Check 8 years, 2 months ago
You obviously don't know the real Minnis. There is a side to him you are very lucky not to know. Our financially crippled country is on life support and barely surviving under Christie; it would not survive one year with Minnis as PM! The safe bet in the next general election is to vote for the independent candidate running in your constituency or not vote at all. Just don't support any existing or wannabe politician with ties to the PLP, FNM or DNA; they're all corrupt incompetent dead beats.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 2 months ago
Precisely!
DMoe 8 years, 2 months ago
Dear finance committee, take the advise of Leslie Miller and "carry your ass' The FNM will win with or without ya'll!!
TalRussell 8 years, 2 months ago
Comrade Minnis still got the scare tissues from surviving all what Brent and Long Island's Loretta attempted to do to him since becoming the Red Movement's party leader. And both continue doing it in their pretend be supporting Minnis mode.
Observer 8 years, 2 months ago
Who fabricated the blatant LIE that the Prime Minister is elected at the polls? Go do ya research.
TalRussell 8 years, 2 months ago
Comrade Observer, while Constitutionally you are correct it still remains the road to the prime minister's office - whether it was "POP" Symonette as the nation's first Premier, Pindling, Papa Hubert or Christie as Prime Ministers, all the men's although not directly elected to the highest office of the land by the public, did in fact act during their respective parties elections as the public "face" and "voice" should their party win the right to govern. But with today's red politics being what it is, who in the hell knows what face does Loretta, Brent and Montagu's Richard, have in mind should it be Minnis coming out of the 2017 General, as the victor?
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 2 months ago
Minnis and Wells now need to explain how The Tribune received confidential government (Cabinet) correspondence and other documents pertaining to Stellar Energy and the LOI matter. It seems when Wells realized he was about to get shafted by those higher up than himself in the corrupt Christie-led PLP government, he went to Minnis and said: "I would be willing to cross over to the FNM under certain conditions." Minnis naturally responded: "What are the conditions and what do you have that I can later use to my benefit?" Wells would have then handed over to Minnis an envelope of documents and said: "I pledge my loyalty to you and by the way this envelope contains the full story on the LOI matter as I know it, showing who knew what when and did what at what time." Minnis would have opened the envelope, quickly looked over its contents and said: "Welcome on board my ship; you have made a wise decision my boy and I expect much from you on the loyalty front." End of conversation. Now months later Minnis chooses to leak some of the documents to the press while making sure to hold back on leaking other more incriminating documents for later use. As Edison Key would say: "It's always better to keep some dry powder on hand for later use at the most opportune of times!"
proudloudandfnm 8 years, 2 months ago
Perry is the most failed PM in our independent history.
Minnis is the most failed opposition leader in our independent history.
Why would anyone feel compelled to replace one failure with another failure.
I cannot fathom how the FNM can have such a shallow bench at this particular time in its history. But damn man. Minnis is the bottom of the barrell...
Economist 8 years, 2 months ago
Minnis just wants to be the leader for his own ego. He doesn't care about the FNM or the country.
Why would anyone fight to finance that? Wells maybe? Let's see him put up some big money to back up his big "very old" mouth.
TalRussell 8 years, 2 months ago
Comrade Economist, this ego nonsense done run it's course even by your choice of Red Movement leader, the lady wakin around since 2012, with the real ego thick brain. You Lorettaêtes will need to work on a new Minnis attack and with a different leader than the one presented and busted out in the open at your August 27-29, 2016 convention lady.
proudloudandfnm 8 years, 2 months ago
I see they selling Roc with Doc wristbands on Facebook...
FNM is broke as hell. And until they get rid of their failed leader the party will stay broke..
I sure as hell am not donating...
TalRussell 8 years, 2 months ago
Comrade ProudLoudAndRed, give Minnis credit for his smarts cause who else could have snagged $100,000 out Long Island's embattled Loretta and the party doesn't even have pay her back? And, snagged it certainly was when you consider what the media was reporting how she did try old wiggle trick out her from her obligation to hand over that $50,000 balance the media couldn't stop talking about??
Publius 8 years, 2 months ago
Hilarious!
jackbnimble 8 years, 2 months ago
No shock there. Minnis is a has been. The only idiots who believe he can beat the PLP are those who are going over the cliff with him. Carry on smartly! Dead Perry will shuffle into another term and the sad reality is the idiots who insist on keeping him won't realize it til it happens. Child all I could say is run for your life!
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