The Tribune

For the full text of the memo, see below this story.

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

SIX FNM parliament members have put together a damning case against their leader, Dr Hubert Minnis, highlighting a myriad of inefficiencies, including his failure to take command of the party “at almost every turn” despite their repeated efforts to support him.

And after four years at the helm of the organisation, the MPs said there was a growing “trust deficit” exacerbated by the “heartbreaking” reality that Dr Minnis “proved himself not to be a man of his word”.

As a result, they said, “our clarion call to action by this Central Council could not be clearer; we absolutely need an early convention to speak to the legitimacy of Bahamian democracy. Equally importantly, we need to confirm whether our current leader still benefits from a mandate to lead”.

They accused Dr Minnis of knowingly and intentionally distorting facts, saying one thing then doing another, and misrepresenting the words or views of his colleagues.

The MPs further insisted that Dr Minnis was a “political neophyte” when he was unanimously elected to lead them, but was supported by “legacy” leaders of the FNM along with his parliamentary team that wanted him to succeed.

They claim that Dr Minnis has not taken advantage of this support team and has failed to lead.

This scathing assessment of the Killarney MP was contained in an eight-page memorandum to the FNM’s Central Council, which according to the party’s constitution is the highest authority outside of a national convention.

Dated May 31, 2016, it names Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner, St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn, North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly and Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins as the memo’s senders.

It is an attempt to convince the council to swiftly decide on an early convention and comes days after the same MPs threatened to petition the governor general to have Dr Minnis removed as leader of the Official Opposition.

“For well over three intensely frustrating and oftentimes painful years the parliamentary team, and former colleagues, did everything they could to help and support the leader,” the memorandum, obtained by The Tribune, said.

“We gave the leader every opportunity he needed to take command of the party and lead us to victory. In doing that, the team repeatedly gave the leader tremendous latitude and deference to set the pace and the tone. Regrettably, we and the party met with failure at almost every turn. Dr Minnis just did not trust the team, nor did he trust the more than 70 years of experience in political leadership that it represented.

“For almost the entirety of his tenure—and despite repeated attempts to guide and support him—Dr Minnis proved himself incapable of leading his team. Consequently, the parliamentary team lacked focus and direction often because the leader failed to provide that focused leadership and direction. This was true of the parliamentary team and the party as a whole. There is absolutely no denying the fact that the party continues to lack a focused plan for national transformation.”

It continued: “Article 25 of the FNM’s constitution declares that the leader shall be responsible for ‘implementing and coordinating the party’s policies and political activities after consultation with the executive committee, the parliamentary members, party officers and others...’

“On a consistent basis Dr Minnis failed to lead in this regard. Almost two years ago when Prime Minister Perry Christie announced to the Bahamas and the world that he would be proceeding with a number of Constitutional Amendment (Bills), he also declared that he was making that announcement after consultation and agreement with Dr Minnis as leader of the opposition. It was a gut-wrenching experience to know that Dr Minnis’ colleagues were learning of his deal with the prime minister at the same time the rest of the Bahamas was being apprised of it.”

With respect to resignations and recommendations for Senate appointments, the MPs said Dr Minnis consulted with his “Cabinet-in-waiting” on a “need to know basis.”

“Consequently, we were frequently the last to know. Consistently, MPs learned that outsiders were able to share more about what the leader was doing before we were apprised of these actions by our leader.

“Repeatedly, the leader made policy speeches, utterances, and released policy position papers with absolutely zero consultation with his colleagues. This, after repeatedly assuring the public that he was going to be a different type of leader.”

Reality Check

Nonetheless, the MPs maintained that this scathing description of the FNM leader was not about personal agendas but that it was a “reality check.”

They maintained that the time had come for a defence of themselves after enduring “mean-spirited, vicious and personal” attacks by Dr Minnis’ ardent supporters.

“For almost the entirety of Dr Minnis’ tenure as leader, FNM MPs have been attacked and vilified by the leader’s supporters in council and on social media. With each mean-spirited, vicious and personal attack by the leader’s ardent supporters, we turned the other cheek and resisted the urge to say ‘It isn’t me.’ But there comes a time when one must put up a fight and defend himself.”

The memo said given what has happened in the party’s council over “the

past six months in particular” they had no other choice but to defend themselves.

“It is our hope that this narrative provides a more balanced representation of why your parliamentary team has functioned in the manner in which it has.

“This parliamentary team is one of accomplished and emerging ‘professionals’. Everyone continues to make tremendous sacrifices in order to serve their country. The decision to take strong action at this time is not at all about us, or some personal agenda against the leader. We act in recognition of the greater national good and the good of the party.”

As a direct result of Dr Minnis’ recent missteps, the MPs said Bahamians see the FNM as no less corrupt and no less self-interested as the PLP or DNA.

Regarding the way forward, the six MPs said this is one of the moments in history when the Bahamas is in greatest need of bold, unifying, capable leadership as the country is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis in crime and youth unemployment.

They said virtually all Bahamians agree that the country is in the midst of a crisis of unprecedented severity. As a result, they are starving for change. But they do not see the potential for change in any political party today, the MPs said.

This, they said, could result in increased likelihood that Bahamians would want to give up on the country and leave, while impatiently waiting for a new leadership/political alternative to emerge.

“Those of us who understand our history know that this is a moment in which we must demand of ourselves that we rise to the occasion. “Unfortunately, we are not currently structured to do this,” the MPs’ memorandum said.

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