The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

IN spite of speculation to the contrary, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn said he has no plans at this time to mount an independent run in the next election.

Despite reports that the Free National Movement is considering prominent businessman Dionisio d’Aguilar to be its standard bearer for the constituency, Mr Lightbourn said he is still a member of the Official Opposition. He added that his main goal is removing the Progressive Liberal Party from power.

Insisting that he is “focused on the task at hand,” Mr Lightbourn said he has spoken privately about several options.

“I talk to everybody and I don’t deal with what ifs when I speak to anybody.”

The one term MP added: “My primary goal is to get rid of the PLP, that is what I am working to do in this term and after. I am still a member of the FNM at this time. Despite the rumours and reports, that is still the case at this time.

“As a member of the party, depending on what I do after this term, I could see myself assisting whoever the party puts up in Montagu. I would help, depending on what my position is. Montagu has a very good team of executives, and I am sure they will offer help to whoever is selected as a candidate.”

Mr Lightbourn continued: “There is no plan to run as an independent candidate at this point. To be honest I haven’t given any thought to it. I am endeavouring to serve the constituents of Montagu. While I haven’t given up the possibility of offering for the next election, I am focused on this term and ridding the country of the PLP shortly after.”

He went on to deny tabloid reports that he had negotiated a deal with the PLP to run as an independent candidate unopposed by the party in the upcoming general election.

He stated: “That is how (Prime Minister Perry) Christie and (former Prime Minister Hubert) Ingraham got back in the House of Assembly when they left the PLP back in the day. But no, I haven’t had any discussions with the PLP. I haven’t had any discussions with the purpose of joining another party. Or working up a deal.”

Mr Lightbourn’s political career took a catastrophic hit on the second night of the FNM’s July convention. While attempting to offer a solution for the country’s rising crime trends, he proposed state-sponsored sterilisation of unwed women with more than two children.

The FNM quickly distanced itself from the controversial comments and said it was not the party’s official position. Even before that Mr Lightbourn apologised for his remarks.

Subsequently, reports surfaced that the party’s leadership had finalised plans to move ahead with ratifying Mr d’Aguilar in the Montagu constituency, despite efforts by Mr Lightbourn to move away from his blunder and commit himself to a re-election bid in the area.

A source with knowledge of the party’s selection process in September told this newspaper that the FNM had “zeroed in” on the Super Wash owner and was “preparing plans to get him in and going in the coming weeks.”

At that point, when contacted for comment on the claims, Mr d’Aguilar said there had not been any indication by the party that it had decided to move ahead with him as a candidate.

In the weeks since, the FNM has remained silent on its plans for the area, with a source insisting yesterday that once the party “kicks off” its post Hurricane Matthew political strategy, “one, if not the first move would be making sense of that Montagu matter.”

That source added that the party has a “winning plan,” that once rolled out, would position the FNM to succeed in the 2017 general election.