By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement Chairman Sidney Collie said yesterday that the party is about to begin the formal process of finding a new nominee for the Long Island constituency.
His statement came a day after FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said the FNM’s Council has rescinded Loretta Butler-Turner’s nomination in that constituency.
Tribune columnist Adrian Gibson has been floated as a possible replacement for Mrs Butler-Turner.
In a column published on Thursday, Mr Gibson wrote: “I affirm that the people of Long Island, my home town, have been calling…and I intend to answer their call.”
Mr Collie, for his part, said the party is still accepting applications for the Long Island seat.
“He (Mr Gibson) and others have to apply, go to the search committee, be interviewed and have background checks into them. We would then weed out who can’t make the final cut. The final cut will be sent to the Executive Committee, which then takes a name to the Council,” Mr Collie said.
“The leader has put out a call to Long Island to start their search. I cannot confirm whether Adrian put out an application, but I know there are two other people interested as well.”
The announcement that Mrs Butler-Turner’s nomination had been rescinded was one of Dr Minnis’ final statements before a crowd of several hundred gathered at the FNM headquarters Wednesday night.
The event was also a candidate ratification and an opportunity for the party to show strength and unity after last week’s move to oust Dr Minnis as leader of the Official Opposition.
The late Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack” blared from speakers following Dr Minnis’ announcement, prompting shouts of approval.
“You did not deserve what those seven MPs did to us,” Dr Minnis said. “You did not deserve it.”
“Didn’t we all endure their public criticism?” he asked. “It seems like almost every week we were being publicly attacked by one of our own.
“FNMs, didn’t we have a convention in November 2014? Didn’t we have a convention in July 2016? The convention elected its leader and I offered my hands out to all who opposed us.”
Comments
proudloudandfnm 8 years ago
The FNM is ridiculous. It is time for a change...
MonkeeDoo 8 years ago
Somehow they just don't get it !
DualCit68 8 years ago
I know that the people of Long Island have long felt Butler was an absentee landlord. She only would show her face if someone prominent on the island died. Otherwise she was tending to her own personal agenda trying to climb the ladder. Bout time a change was made and put someone there that gives a rip.
sheeprunner12 8 years ago
Collie stop talking shit .................. Adrian Gibson or nuttin!!!!!!!!!!
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years ago
This crooked scoundrel Collie is one of the key reasons the death knell has now tolled for the FNM party.
Regardless 8 years ago
If the candidate selection is left to Long Island they will request another representative with no vision or international exposure. They only want someone to voice diatribe as opposition in the House with development plans limited to the cleanliness of the Queen's Highway outhouses. Very sad.
sheeprunner12 8 years ago
BOL ......... you have no idea who Long Islanders are ......... you have described several other Family Islands, but not the place I know intimately well ......... But, you are entitled to your (non-Bahamian) opinion
sheeprunner12 8 years ago
Repost: ............ Long Islanders are not blind FNM supporters ......... they are quite savvy when it comes to politics ........... after all, we gave The Bahamas the PLP as well .......... until Pindling hi-jacked it and the rest is history
Regardless 8 years ago
Yeah sure. No MP since Peter Graham has brought any serious foreign investment to the island and they have all been FNM. Does not sound like " savvy " political acumen to me.
Sign in to comment
OpenID