FNM CHAIRMAN MICHAEL PINTARD.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement Chairman Michael Pintard has conceded that the party is in a “difficult place” and facing “tremendous pressure” to settle internal disputes urgently.
The divisions in the Official Opposition have played out in the media for several weeks, giving the appearance that the party is a fractured organisation.
Senator Pintard said while this was the result of push back from a very small number of persons within the FNM, he was hopeful that the party would be able to deal with their issues in a timely manner.
His comments came while he was a guest on the 96.9 FM talk show, “Morning Blend”.
Mr Pintard said with a general election imminent, executives in the party have found themselves working tirelessly to foster unity, shifting the focus away from internal matters to issues of national importance.
He also attempted to clear up the perception that there is a rift between himself and Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner after a scathing letter she had sent to him earlier this week was leaked to the media.
In it, she rebuked him over accusations that he was planning to hold an executive meeting in Long Island this Friday without consulting her. However, Mr Pintard has denied any secret attempts to meet in her constituency, insisting that Mrs Butler-Turner was aware that the meeting was to take place.
He further defended FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, saying that despite criticisms that he was not an eloquent speaker and did not have a good command of the English language, he still connected with many Bahamians who see him as one of them.
“I am proud to be a member of the Free National Movement. I think I am a part of a proud tradition with the men and women who make up the FNM,” Mr Pintard said. “I have had a wonderful opportunity to work with them notwithstanding the difficult place that we are in now as an organisation.
“I have been proud to defend Loretta Butler-Turner, when you have had the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Fred Mitchell) try to assert the view that a woman being assertive is the same as being overly aggressive. The truth of the matter is that men and women have a right to assertively express their views and champion causes. She has been our best debater in the House of Assembly.”
He also praised other FNM MPs for their work in the country.
“Richard Lightbourn spends as much or more time than anyone else in the black belt areas in the country. In my view he has demonstrated a commitment and a view for ordinary Bahamians. Peter Turnquest, again a businessman who has led the Chamber of Commerce, continues to speak to a category of Bahamians who want to hear from persons with a plan and vision for transforming the economy.
“There is tremendous pressure on us to settle things down with a sense of urgency and that’s what we work on tirelessly. That is why I try my best to be supportive of my colleagues to hear the differences of opinions and to really where possible be a peacemaker.”
He added: “And my leader, (he is) a common Bahamian. Let me tell you why I believe on the ground many Bahamians are attracted to him. Dr Minnis, they see as one of them, notwithstanding that he is a medical doctor.
“So the issue people take talking about tenses and the way in which he communicates for some of us who believe that we just have absolute complete command of the English language or have listened to (Prime Minister Perry) Christie for the last four decades, for those of us who may come to the table with those skill sets in communication.
“(The) Bahamian people are astute enough to look beyond the comments made to examine the ability to deliver what you talk about. (Dr) Minnis is attractive to people on the ground in part by people who see him as one who has pulled himself up by the boot straps who will get things done.”
Regarding former FNM Cabinet ministers voicing opinions on matters related to the party, Mr Pintard said he respects their right to weigh in on different subjects.
Although there have been reports of tension within the FNM since the party lost the 2012 general election, things came to a head in January when Senator Lanisha Rolle castigated members of her own party, some of whom she claimed are “jealous” of Dr Minnis. She also said the country would never vote for Mrs Butler-Turner to lead this country over Prime Minister Perry Christie.
Several FNM MPs called on her to make a public apology, however she never did.
In January, South Abaco MP Edison Key elaborated on a reported plan by some disgruntled FNM MPs to petition the governor general to remove Dr Minnis as leader of the opposition. He confirmed that he had been approached last year to join the faction, but declined because he doesn’t engage in “petty politics.”
Comments
TruePeople 8 years, 9 months ago
what politricks round here aren't petty?
Honestman 8 years, 9 months ago
The FNM is not serious about governing The Bahamas.
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
Not in the least.
mangogirl01 8 years, 9 months ago
Only Papa can unite the Party! Dr. Minnis is just not cutting the mustard!! I miss the late Charles Maynard! RIP. He was correct in sayingg Dr. Minnis and Mrs. Butler-Turner had 18 months to prove themselves worthy as Party leader and deputy! I think if he was alive today, the FNM would not be in the state that it is in!
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
Well let's remember, even Charles was preparing to leave the post due to Minnis' evil ways and his blocking him from being the Chairman he was elected to be. So, while I agree with you about what Charles brought to the table, it would have remained to have been seen how much the FNM could have benefited from his gifts had he lived.
TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago
Comrade Chairman perplexing if you think the red party is in but a difficult place. Why, didn't your party just last night call in the policeman's reportedly with "powerful side arms" to quell a disturbance during a candidate's nomination meeting at the Mackey Street Party's headquarters? Comrade Chairman Pintard in case you haven't noticed, your red shirts party has escalated to being seen by your own supports as at the stage of uncontrollably wonky. . You and all red executives should do the honorably - resign forthwith - before your party gets laughed out town by your own supporters.
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
Did you notice the insultingly dishonest story their candidate Howard Johnson gave to the Guardian on that matter? If I was the PLP I would be over the moon with how hard the FNM is working to make sure my party wins the next general election and captures a new mandate.
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
That's all they do, boast about a legacy none of them are representing today. Who cares about what existed 40-plus years ago if we cannot see any evidence of that in operation for the Bahamian people today? Even some of their founders are now the ring leaders in this debauchery, so what fairy tale is the FNM trying to lull us to sleep by?
TruePeople 8 years, 9 months ago
real talk
TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago
Comrades i hate say this. The court records will back me up when I say that it is THE red shirts party who are best known for General Election thugs doing their dirty business. Last night something went terribly wrong over at the red party's Mackey Street headquarters and I pray there are still some level-headed reds left in the party who will not tolerate it and deal with it out in the open.
This red party's executives and House MP's will destroy the red party if not quickly brought under control, and even I may be open to a request for Papa's immediate intervention on a temporary basis? Maybe appointed as party interim leader?
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
Oh please Tal. Do you really want to go there about election thugs? i cannot say you should be ashamed to say what you said because you are speaking behind an alias, so whence would cometh thou shame. I'm not suggesting that the FNM is totally innocent, but for you to sit here and say that the FNM is known best for election violence is absolutely lying lunacy. And by the way, this incident had nothing to do with political miscreants being set up to cause mischief. This matter stemmed from internal foolishness. If ever the FNM wants to tell the truth about that I imagine they might, since the story told by Johnson was by and large a lie and half-truths.
birdiestrachan 8 years, 9 months ago
This is the FNM party at its very best. This is who they are and what they are all about, Six of one half a dozen of the other. It has nothing to do with the good of the Bahamas or its people. it is all about the power.
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
You should know since your party matches the description you just gave. At least be honest about that if you are even remotely capable of that level and caliber of honesty.
TruePeople 8 years, 9 months ago
shameful right? and yet heads and shoulders above and better than your beloved PLP. get over it
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
What angers me about the FNM now is they are actually making the issue debatable about who we should be more ashamed of at the moment.
sheeprunner12 8 years, 9 months ago
I don't think any of you watch American party politics ........... compared to them we are very civilized ................ Do you see any Bernie's, Trumps, Teds or Rubios in our town????????
sheeprunner12 8 years, 9 months ago
All we have are Hillarys and Jebs ............. BOL (status quo fellas)
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
What does American politics have to do with the seriousness of this matter? That is a fallacy of logic. The reality is that police should never have to be called to the headquarters of a major political party because the party's people are that out of control. And with crime in New Providence being what it is, what business does the FNM have even putting itself in the position to have this kind of reality exist and this kind of headline reported about them? Johnson lied to the media when he gave them the impression that some rouge strangers just happened to have wandered into the FNM's building and set up their own rambunctious happenings inside a closed meeting of that party. The story was so ridiculous until it was insulting. How much lower does the FNM wish to descend in the eyes of the Bahamian people?
sheeprunner12 8 years, 9 months ago
At least the American candidates are not afraid to get on the public stage and sell their political ideas to the citizens who will vote for them ..... ours hide behind a reporter or an unnamed source to throw low blows .. when we start having mature public debates between candidates and parties, we will truly begin to be democratic........... you are from the old school of SLOP politics
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
Your comment is patently absurd on several levels. Firstly. This is The Bahamas - a Parliamentary Democracy under the Westminster System. This is not a Republic as is the United States. Secondly, presidential debates are a requirement in the US system, so whether candidates are "afraid" to debate or not does not arise - they are required to debate. There is no such requirement in The Bahamas at this time - and we do not vote for our Prime Ministers as Republics vote for their Presidents, which is likely part of the reason political leaders here do not have those kinds of debates. Doesn't mean we can't have debates of course, but our system does not require it. Thirdly and most relevantly, we are talking about animalistic FNMs carrying on so badly during a runaway nomination process at their headquarters that police had to be called in. What that even remotely has to do with presidential debates in the United States is clearly a figment of your imagination.
TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago
Comrades the cover-up is always more damaging than the act itself. I talk about the act of red House MP's seeking an appointment with the Governor-general to act on behalf of Her Majesty to removed Minnis as HM's opposition leader.
My question to Chairman Pintard is, how in the hell can you stand before the media to say that "conceded that the party is in a “difficult place” and facing “tremendous pressure” to settle internal disputes urgently" - when party officials have never leveled with the people over what exactly took place to remove Minnis and who were involved?
Do you reds really think you will never have face the music on wanting HM to remove Minnis as party leader that it can be swept under red carpet?
How much more of a difficult place can political party be in than to be running to HM in England to fire her Official Opposition Leader - yet not a peep to the people about it?
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
Had they done so, it would have been fully Constitutional. Sadly, so many Bahamians do not know what their Constitution says, nor do they know how their system of government functions and so they do not know what is supposed to happen and what is not supposed to happen. A Vote of No Confidence is a Constitutional provision that any side can take at any time Parliamentary confidence is lost.
TruePeople 8 years, 9 months ago
That's what i been sayin all along about the FNM not being serious about the Bahamas. They will sit back and accuse and point fingers at the PLP, meanwhile they are letting Perry F over the country.
All they need to do is vote no confidence in the gov't, force an election, and do their best to be the salvation of this country. However all they know about seems to be long talking, finger pointing and bickering, all of which have no positive outcomes.
FNM is accessory to the PLP's crime of murdering this country for this very reason.
I have no confidence in either party at this point
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
Neither do I, sadly.
Emac 8 years, 9 months ago
Can't stomach the present opposition leader and chairman. But I would vote for them any day over this lot in power. Just goes to show how much distain I have the PLP dem.
TruePeople 8 years, 9 months ago
these days PLP and FNM dem is the same people wearing different colour shirts
TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago
Comrades back in March 2011 wasn't a Bamboo Town Constituency Town Hall meeting over the sale BTC held by Bran - invaded and broken up by known political operatives?
Did this actually happen - a simple Yes, or No?
Why isn't the media asking serious questions, why the policeman's who were called to the red shirts Mackey Street Party's Headquarters, reportedly thought it necessary to arm themselves with "visible powerful" sidearms?
No damn wonder the Chinese gift of $1.2 million of riot gear is starting looks that much more pretty damn scary.
Publius 8 years, 9 months ago
True. Can't imagine what kind of report the Police would have received that would make them think that was necessary. Meanwhile the FNM is so busy lying about the incident that it wont likely ask those questions openly either.
Godson 8 years, 9 months ago
At least one of the truthful facts that came from Mr. Pintard's mouth was: "She [LBT] has been our best debater in the House of Assembly".
This is as close to the threshold that one can get in saying that Mrs. Butler-Turner is the only and most effective leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of The Bahamas.
Godson 'Nicodemus' Johnson
Economist 8 years, 9 months ago
I agree that LBT is the most effective debater on the Opposition, perhaps the most effective debater in the House period.
TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago
Comrade Banker Loretta has proven she is the best debater on opposition side House but unfortunately she has also gone all solo breaking ranks with her red shirt House colleagues to cast her vote alongside House PLP's, or was absent for the vote.
Yes, Loretta was most passionate when she cried when the speaker stopped her from presenting "her" report on the hurricane to the House of Assembly.
Okay, Marsh Harbour's Edison votes often with the PLP, or just doesn't show up to cast his red vote with his red colleagues but he is a clear cut red shirt renegade and he doesn't run around pretending that he's not?
In fact, some in and outside her party have gone as far as to question - why Loretta doesn't just do the Honourable to sit as an Independent House MP and leave Minnis to be?
SP 8 years, 9 months ago
.................... Former Prime Minister of Curaçao wins 3 year prison term ........................
http://curacaochronicle.com/main/schott…
Prime Minister Christie well on the way to being a much bigger winner!
cmiller 8 years, 9 months ago
Is any Bahamian political party not in a 'difficult place'??? I think not. All four are struggling, but sone of them had better get it together and at least become a cohesive group.
cmiller 8 years, 9 months ago
The biggest hurdle for all these parties is that Bahamians are now rooting out the truth about EVERYTHING and there's no more hiding for these politicians. Some of them are reeling!! Lady Pindling, Ishmael Lightbourne, Allison Gibson, Alfred Grey, etc.
All the country's business revealed in glaring spotlights, thanks to social media. I say, keep on digging up the truth, Bahamians!!!!
proudloudandfnm 8 years, 9 months ago
FNM is in deep trouble. Obviously they need a new leader.....
TalRussell 8 years, 9 months ago
Comrade ProudLoudAnd "Sadly" FNM. Salvation is impossible if the reds don't rebuild from the bottom up cause it's the handful at the top destroying the party - not the majority.
It's like the disappointment I experience whenever I listen in to Guardian Talk Radio and they want to totally redefine, redesign and rewrite the music, songs native to our Bahamaland.
Look how determined the station's management were when they attempted to force their Creole Show on their listeners, Now, if that was not an attempt to redefine the natives culture - you tell me what in hell it was?
Comrades I do believe that Bahamalander's would support a party's Election Manifesto that called for - when we hit these station owners with the cancellation broadcasting, we will awaken the spirit in new licensees that what is ours is ours and must be protected on the nation's airwaves to remain special, unique and exclusive to our Bahamaland.
MonkeeDoo 8 years, 9 months ago
SP: I don't know how we can change the Government and NOT prosecute these people for what they have done taken or misappropriated. Corruption MUST END in 2017. Never again.
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