The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

IRAM Lewis, MP for Central Grand Bahama, was officially nominated yesterday for leader of the Free National Movement and insisted he wanted to be in the job for the “long haul.”

With the leadership contest set for next week, Mr Lewis is confident of emerging as the victor. Kwasi Thompson, MP for East Grand Bahama, and Michael Pintard, MP for Marco City, have also offered themselves as contenders for party leadership.

Some have questioned if the winner of next week’s race will only be an interim leader until another convention is held in two years.

After being nominated at FNM headquarters, Mr Lewis was asked if he would just be an interim leader if he wins. He denied this saying he is in it for the “long haul.”

“I’ve said in my launch that I am in it to win it and I am in it for the long haul,” he said. “This is not a temporary fix. I am 56 years old. I am following the FNM from inception.

“I’ve been a part of this organisation and I see myself as a part of the leadership moving forward. This is no temporary fix. This is no interim position that I seek to hold. I am in it for the long haul and I am sure others are in it for the same reason.

“I was six years old when one of the founding fathers came to our house in Water Cay and told my father that the Free PLP was forming this movement, the Free National Movement. He was the first one to vote FNM in Water Cay. So I’ve been following the founding fathers, then Mr Ken Russell and on to Mr Brent Symonette when I moved to Nassau.”

Mr Lewis and his team said the movement to ‘Get the FNM Back on Track’ became official as the Central Grand Bahama MP was nominated by FNM Women’s Association member Keva Roberts-Nethersole and seconded by Torchbearers Youth Association member Xavier Knowles.

He said this is reflective of his determination and commitment to ensure that both women and younger people are empowered in the party.

Some observers say many of the FNM’s supporters have become turned off from the party leadership, in particular of Dr Hubert Minnis, who they have labelled as the main cause of them not showing up at the polls to vote.

Mr Lewis said there is no one person to blame for the defeat. He said the blame should be collective.

“I will not put it on any one person,” he said. “If it’s a fault of leadership then I have to be a part of the responsibility, because I was in Cabinet also. I was a part of leadership. With respect to collective responsibility, I accept my part.

“There is no one person who you can put this on and I would be very disingenuous if I would call the name of any one person who caused us to be where we are right now. We acted as a team and our team dropped the baton in certain instances. We had some self-inflicted wounds as a team. A team is what I want to work with, going forward, to mend broken relationships.”

He was the first to officially announce his intention to run for leader following the election defeat of September 16. And, like the others in the race, Mr Lewis has vowed to mend the broken relationships with disenfranchised FNMs who did not turn out to the polls to vote, thus causing the party’s defeat.

He said his first order of business is to unify and solidify the party’s base; take the party back to the principles on which it was founded by the “Dissident Eight”, led by the late Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield 50 years ago.

He said, “We have started already making phone calls. Persons we know did not show up on September 16 for various reasons, some felt disenfranchised, some felt like they were disrespected, forgotten and they are the ones on whose shoulders we stand.

“So we’re making phone calls to the various associations embracing our foot soldiers starting from the foundation because if we do not go out there and reconnect with them, apologise to them, the healing will never start.

“Once we start the healing process, we will continue to do what we can to ensure that we are healed, that we are back together as a family .… that we can grow as a family. Once this party gets to the level that it should be and beyond, we will become the party of choice.”

The FNM will hold a press conference today when nominations close and Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest is expected to take the reins as party leader until November 27 when a new leader is elected at the special convention.