The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis last night revealed that negotiations for a coalition between the FNM and the Democratic National Alliance failed because DNA Leader Branville McCartney wanted 16 seats uncontested and an agreement for his party to have the final say on the makeup of the government, including who would be named prime minister.

Upon hearing the demands of Mr McCartney, Dr Minnis told a raucous crowd of party supporters that he “reverted back to my younger days growing up in Bain Town (and the) Grove and I told Bran where to go.”

Dr Minnis said he was not prepared to “giveaway” the FNM or pander to “oversized egos” and blamed the former Bamboo Town MP for enabling the Progressive Liberal Party to win the 2012 general election, “causing pain and suffering” over the last five years.

According to the Killarney MP, Mr McCartney demanded that the FNM did not contest the Bamboo Town constituency, Seabreeze, Garden Hills, Carmichael, Golden Isles, Southern Shores, Marathon, Elizabeth, Pinewood, Fox Hill, Golden Gates, North Abaco, Central and South Abaco, Marco City, Yamacraw and to have the St Thomas More constituency if there was one.

The DNA further wanted an agreement that should they be successful, the party would be tasked with deciding the deputy prime minister, the make-up of the Cabinet and ambassadors, Dr Minnis said. 

This deal, he said, was bound to bring instability to the government.

The details of the failed coalition discussions came to light during the FNM’s final ratification last night at the party’s headquarters on Mackey Street.

The party ratified five candidates, including Dr Minnis for Killarney, Shanedon Cartwright for St Barnabas, former Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette for the St Anne’s constituency, Pakeshia Parker-Edgecombe for West Grand Bahama and Bimini and Rev Vaughn Miller for Golden Isles. 

Mr Miller replaces Kenyatta Gibson, who withdrew from the race last week Friday for “personal reasons,” a day after PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts suggested that the party was privy to damaging information about him that it was about to release in the public domain. 

“In the last election Bran caused the PLP to win,” Dr Minnis said during his address to scores of FNM supporters. “He broke ranks and caused all the pain and suffering we had to endure at the hands of the PLP during the last five years. I don’t believe Bahamians are going to make the same mistake again.

“The FNM under my leadership will not pander to oversized and out sized egos. We will not be blackmailed. We will not enter into any deals that will bring instability to governance and just to let you know Bran wanted 16 seats. He wanted the FNM not to oppose 16 seats. The seats he wanted were as follows: he wanted Bamboo Town, he wanted Seabreeze, he wanted Garden Hills, he wanted Carmichael, he wanted Golden Isles, he wanted Southern Shores, he wanted Marathon, he wanted Elizabeth, he wanted Pinewood, he wanted Fox Hill, he wanted Golden Gates, he wanted North (Abaco) and South (and Central) Abaco, he wanted Marco City, he wanted Yamacraw, and if there was a St Thomas More, he wanted St Thomas More.”

He continued: “The only seats he did not want was Killarney, Montagu, St Anne’s and the inner city. You see what he also wanted besides taking the best from the FNM, he also wanted an agreement that if the DNA got the most seats that the DNA would decide who was the prime minister. The DNA would decide who was the deputy prime minister. The DNA would decide the cabinet and the DNA would select the ambassadors for the Bahamas.

“I reverted back to my younger days growing up in Bain Town (and the) Grove and I told Bran where to go. I was not prepared to give away the FNM and I am still not prepared to give away the FNM.”

Dr Minnis went on to respond to criticisms that his party is still divided, pointing to situations that have gone public that the same is occurring in the governing party. Dr Minnis said his party was “finished” with infighting. 

“There is a lot of noise in the market and the noise will get louder as the election draws closer. The big headlines shout out about confusion and disarray in the ranks of the opposition. Well I want to tell you tonight that there might be confusion and disarray out there, but there is no confusion and disarray in here.

“There is no disarray in the FNM. We are not a party of that squabbling. We finished with that. The FNM is all together and our door is always open. We are going about our business and our business is the people’s business. We are getting ready to win the next election. We are getting ready to put our teams out and we are getting ready to govern. We are not waiting for anyone. We are not waiting until they get their massive egos sorted out. If you want to get rid of the PLP, if you want a new government, there is only one way to go and that is the FNM.

“Only the FNM can defeat the PLP.  A vote for an independent is a vote for the PLP. And I said it before and I will say it again and I want you to listen and hear me well. I want all of the Bahamas to hear my words and my voice. If you go to bed with the DNA you will wake up with the PLP and Christie.”

For his part, Mr Symonette said it was clear for everyone to see that the FNM is the party of choice. He said the FNM has the best candidates, deputy leader and leader.

“I have served the people of the Bahamas to the best of my ability and I will continue to serve those people, but more importantly I will serve the leader of the FNM to the best of my ability,” Mr Symonette said.

“And Bradley Roberts can take that to the bank. This country is tired of Christie and his group of useless, worthless, good for nothing, nonproductive persons who do not have the interest of the Bahamian people at heart.”

When he took the podium, Mr Cartwright said Bahamians all across the country have had enough of the PLP government.

“For far too long the Bahamian people have been denied their dreams and aspirations. The reality for the Bahamian people is this, we have an economy that is not growing, an economy that has only grown 0.1 per cent at the end of 2016. It’s the people’s time. We have a situation in the country where there were 600 murders in the last five years and that’s why it’s the people’s time. We have unemployment, which is at 17 per cent and that is why it’s the people’s time. The Bahamian people have been over taxed.”

Mr Miller went on to use his address to speak to Golden Isles constituents saying: “The FNM under Dr Minnis has heard your concerns, heard your cries and will not only listen but also as your government will respond and make the changes you’re calling for. The Commonwealth of the Bahamas will once again become a strong, vibrant, respected, productive, safe, God-fearing nation.”