The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette yesterday confirmed that he was no longer a part of the Free National Movement’s Finance Committee, which spearheads efforts to secure the necessary funding for the opposition party to pull off a successful election campaign.

He had been on the committee for the last 40 years.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Symonette seemed indifferent that he no longer sat on the committee and explained that the decision of who should serve on it was the choice of FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis.

“The leader is in the process of forming a new committee,” he said. “He has the unfettered ability to make his decision to determine the people he wants to be on the committee.”

This revelation follows a report published in The Tribune last month that key members of the committee, according to sources, indicated that they were no longer willing to assist the party with fundraising.

It was perceived to be a power play and insiders insisted that it came because some committee members remained dissatisfied with Dr Minnis’ leadership.

“They told Dr Minnis before the convention to step down because to them he doesn’t have the wherewithal,” one FNM insider said last month. “They also said if you come out the convention as the leader we will not support you. So it was no surprise that there are those of them who said they did not want to carry on.”

However, when he was asked at the time about these reports, Mr Symonette denied that the party’s Finance Committee resigned at their luncheon meeting.

Although he said this was not true, Mr Symonette did suggest that as some members had been on the committee for so many years, they should give Dr Minnis a chance to select his own committee.

This comes amid reports that the FNM is struggling financially as many of its donors have made a decision not to donate funds. Insiders have raised concerns that if the party cannot gain sound financial footing, it will lose the 2017 general election.