Dr Duane Sands
By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT
ts-cartwright@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands acknowledged that he has aspirations to one day become leader of the Free National Movement.
This comes after weeks of rumours that he and Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis had a very tense working relationship due to the same.
Dr Sands’ comments came while he was a guest on the 96.9 FM radio show Paradigm Shift with host Michelle Malcolm.
Asked by the host if he has leadership aspirations, Dr Sands said “yes.”
“That question is asked whether I have aspirations to become Prime Minister, so on and so forth,” Dr Sands said. “I answer this question this way. Any of us and all of us involved in politics see ourselves ultimately one day calling the shots, but there is only one leader at a time. And, you cannot lead if you cannot follow. It is yes. Yes, I do.”
The host referred to allegations of tension between Dr Sands and Dr Minnis and asked if there were a possibility that the nation’s leader was holding a grudge due to the Elizabeth MP supporting Dr Minnis’ former leadership challenger, Loretta Butler-Turner.
“I am not in the Prime Minister’s head,” Dr Sands said. “I am not able to predict what he is thinking.”
Later in the interview, Dr Sands made it clear that, “I do not dance to anyone’s drum beat, but my own.”
Last week, Dr Sands’ broke ranks with his party by criticising the government’s handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. However, some members of the public criticised him for remaining silent while a Cabinet minister but suddenly “coming clean” when he resigned a few weeks ago. He explained his muzzling.
“When you sign up to be a part of Cabinet you take an oath,” Dr Sands explained yesterday. “Even resignation from that office does not free you up to break the oath of Cabinet. You would require permission from the Governor General, permission from the Cabinet itself in order to divulge information that you were privy to. And so, there are certain things that I will not say and cannot say and I don’t have a problem with that.
“Now I may throw some serious jabs at my party, but it is intended for us to get our own house in order so that when we go back to the people again, and that all of the weaknesses, all of the challenges that we have not adequately addressed are addressed and addressed well.”
Dr Sands said the FNM has a lot of work to do right now, but first it must look in the proverbial mirror and determine what it can do to improve the lives of ordinary Bahamians.
He also said some members of the Cabinet are reluctant to be open with the public.
“One criticism I can make of the Cabinet and my colleagues in Cabinet is that there has been a reluctance to be as open and to be engaged in conversations with the Bahamian public,” Dr Sands noted. “Now some people say that that was my flaw; that there was no microphone that I didn’t like, that there was no platform that I didn’t like and that’s their criticism. It is my view that you have different people with different styles and different skills.
“There are some people that shy away from public speech. There are some people who shy away from candid conversations, that’s not me. I think that the Bahamian people are owed a direct reporting of their affairs on a regular basis. That’s just me. There are other people who the only way that they are going to give an accounting is that they have something written, a script in the front of them, and failing that they are going to shy away from the cameras. When you attend Cabinet, you bring your testicles in with you, but you leave your ego at the door.”
Asked if he and Brent Symonette, MP for St Anne’s, had intentions of starting their own political party, he responded, “no”, but quickly added that he had a lot of options politically.
Comments
Hoda 4 years, 6 months ago
So, are the Tribune commentors going to say Sands recent comments have nothing to do with wanting to be leader of the fnm ie., attack Minnis. Just a coincidence....
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 6 months ago
"Asked by the host if he has leadership aspirations, Dr Sands said yes"
If you didn't listen to the actual interview the story as written certainly raises eyebrows. What he actuslly said in context was, everyone who enters parliament has aspirations that one day they too could be leader, BUT you cannot lead if you cannot follow"
that's what he said. It's a perfectly respectable answer. As far as I know The Bahamas doesnt have a Leader for life position
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 6 months ago
Now would be a good time. Minnis has to go, empty suit is not a strong enough phrase to describe our current PM....
birdiestrachan 4 years, 6 months ago
Please God No. there could be a lot of danger there. Remember the Frank Smith case and Ms. Hanna,
Remember what QC Knight had to say what can happen to people who can not afford QC. May the good Lord help us all.
tribanon 4 years, 6 months ago
You sound like you and your PLP friends are very much afraid of Dr. Sands. And that's no doubt because the leader of the PLP believes he stands a chance of becoming PM if Minnis remains leader of the FNM whereas Davis would stand absolutely no chance at all if Dr. Sands became the leader of the FNM party or perhaps a new party going into the next general election.
moncurcool 4 years, 6 months ago
Won't be no where near as dangerous as having Davis there. Davis would be destruction for the Bahamas.
joeblow 4 years, 6 months ago
I only have one vote but I refuse to cast it for 'Brave Davis", Minnis or Sands if he becomes party leader (as certain deep pocket businessmen want him to be)!
Gawd, deliver me from this nightmarish cycle of having to choose six of one or half a dozen of the other!!
tribanon 4 years, 6 months ago
Unfortunately in life it often comes down to choosing the lesser of all evils. When it comes to Minnis, Davis and Sands, hands down Sands is the least evil of the three whereas Minnis is probably the most evil of the lot.
BahamasForBahamians 4 years, 6 months ago
You're entitled to feel that way but by record Sands is actually the worst. He's the only with an embattled resignation from cabinet on his resume.
Now as I said you're entitled to feel otherwise but the records speaks for itself
moncurcool 4 years, 6 months ago
No. He is the only one who has the ethics and morals and willingness to follow the Westminster protocols. Davis who lied to Parliament on BAMSI insurance should have been fired by Christie. So called records do not always tell the whole story.
joeblow 4 years, 6 months ago
@moncurcool... and the ethics moral and willingness to criticize his government for decisions made when HE was Minister of Health and while he is still a sitting MP! What an upstanding example of Westminster etiquette !
themessenger 4 years, 6 months ago
Sands has already shot himself in one foot while placing the other firmly in his mouth with his recent attacks on the government that he was so recently a part of, and a large part of the issues he's now trying to chastise them for. Closed mout catch no fly nor foot!
TalRussell 4 years, 6 months ago
It's called but the start of the internal red coats political terrorism moving forward to dictate who controls the redcoats campaign message for the general election!
For over some eight months now this comrade was rebuked and called-out for my posts heightening the discrepancies the Hurricane Dorian dead bodies, along with reminding all of the personal vendettas that Mr Minnis harbours for any and all previously supportive of comrade sister Loretta.
Are you listening to Carl Wilshire cause Brent has done learned that Mr. Minnis is a petty man's with an unforgivable mindset. Go ask the former Abaco MP Edison Key, all about a Mr. Minnis?**
Equally so should Edison's replacement red coats MP. too know that he days as a Mr. Minnis junior cabinet confident are done numbered? Nod Once for Yeah, Twice for No?
DDK 4 years, 6 months ago
One nod, Comrade! Time for the FNM to go to the Cleaners!
TalRussell 4 years, 6 months ago
Fact is ma comrade DDK, as we speak there are but two political leadership - both with accumulated items of baggage filled with liabilities. Both are badly in need of a major leadership makeover. Might be more of which recognises their faults and gets to work?
themessenger 4 years, 6 months ago
I gotta tell you DDK, be careful what you wish for, you might get it! While the FNM have made many missteps the PLP as they're currently structured and led are not a viable alternative, but ultimately, it comes down to the lesser of two weevils.
moncurcool 4 years, 6 months ago
And take who? The gravy train lead by Davis and Mitchell? We would be asking for total destruction of the Bahamas.
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