FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis at last night’s meeting held by the FNM. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Free National Movement’s council agreed last night to let former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis remain leader of the party until a new leader emerges from a convention in November, party chairman Carl Culmer told reporters.
The council’s decision came during a spirited meeting in which members gave frank assessments about why the FNM suffered its worst electoral defeat in decades.
The meeting followed the FNM executive committee’s decision to recommend to council that Dr Minnis remain leader during the transition period. Dr Minnis had told committee members that he will hold on to his Killarney seat and has no plans to resign from the House of Assembly.
“We had a great meeting tonight and a lot of supporters have expressed their concerns and at the end of the meeting we agreed that the leader, the present leader, will take the party into convention and after convention we will select a new leader to take the party forward,” Mr Culmer told reporters outside Holy Trinity Anglican Church. “Dr Minnis will not offer himself for leadership. We will have an opportunity to choose another leader.”
Mr Culmer said the convention will take place no later than at the end of November.
“Dr Minnis also pledged to work with (the new) leader, whomever he may be, so that the FNM will be battle ready for the election whenever it is called,” he added.
For his part, Dr Minnis said he will help hold the PLP accountable in opposition.
He said: “I thought the government, we did an excellent job in paving the way forward for the country and preparing for a better future. Unfortunately, the public felt different and we accept that. We will regroup, look at everything, analyse as to why voters did not vote, what were the challenges and we will move forward and come out even better. Most importantly, I will be going back to parliament as the leader of the opposition with my parliamentary colleagues and we have had lots of experience both in opposition and in government and we are assured that we will be a very very vibrant, aggressive opposition and we will keep the government’s feet to the fire. They’ve made many promises and it is essential that when you make promises, you adhere to the promises.”
Although some FNM supporters wanted Dr Minnis to step down immediately, last night’s vote reflected a greater desire in the party for an orderly transition that allows the outgoing leader to be treated with dignity and respect.
Although the closed-door meeting was not particularly contentious, sources said speakers were critical of the performance of party leaders even while emphasising the need for unity. Some called for a proper post-mortem assessment on what went wrong while others complained about the quality of some of the candidates ratified for the election.
Former Bain & Grants Town MP Travis Robinson gave a particulalry fiery speech. He said: “The reality is that people on the outside of this building is depending on us as a a party, the free national movement, to get it right, to fix things.”
“The reality is that people felt that the FNM and our leadership, the prime minister, was not in tune with the Bahamian people. The felt that we said things that we should not have said, did things that we should not have done.”
Mr Robinson said the party lacked succession planning. Drawing from his own experience, he said the party needs to apply principles of the Westminster system evenly, not selectively.
The council meeting now paves the way for the leadership battle in the FNM to begin in earnest.
Although no one has publicly declared an interest in the leadership position, the current favourites are believed to be Marco City MP-elect Michael Pintard, East Grand Bahama MP-elect Kwasi Thompson and St Barnabas MP-elect Shandendon Cartwright.
Sources said last night’s meeting likely left Mr Thompson in a stronger position among council members than he was prior to the meeting while potentially weakening Mr Pintard’s standing among the officials.
Mr Pintard reportedly pushed back against St Annes MP-elect Adrian White’s report of how the caucus came to vote for Dr Minnis to enter parliament as leader of the official opposition. Mr Thompson, in turn, defended Mr White and had his views supported by other caucus members.
Comments
bahamianson 3 years, 2 months ago
no red jacket ? where is the red hat?
SP 3 years, 2 months ago
Lol...Don't forget those spiffy red shoes and expensive stiff red shirts he used to wear.
He'll be in a white jacket inspecting hairy banks again sooner or later!
stillwaters 3 years, 2 months ago
Very vulgar remark about Bahamian women.....shame on you
sheeprunner12 3 years, 2 months ago
Fire Carl Culmer too. He was responsible for party machinery, not Minnis.
stillwaters 3 years, 2 months ago
Politics is so exhausting.......Brave did nothing but poke the bear for the last four years, criticizing everything under the sun.....now Minnis will poke, and poke, and poke. Isn't there a better way?
tribanon 3 years, 2 months ago
As a now former disgraced PM, Minnis has little if any political standing to poke anything, even on behalf of the Killarney voters who foolishly have allowed him to have a seat in the new parliament.
tribanon 3 years, 2 months ago
HUGE MISTAKE BY THE FNM PARTY......AND I MEAN REALLY HUGE!!
sheeprunner12 3 years, 2 months ago
Don't expect anything different from you. But the party will move on ..... No new HAI out there right now. Brave & Chester will have to lose the 2026 election on their own merit.
tribanon 3 years, 2 months ago
Joke of the week. An arrogant megalomaniacal tyrant never works with anyone. LOL
Joke of the month. Shameful Minnis will never have the political standing to hold anyone accountable for anything. LMAO
Joke of the year. A most delusional still wannabe authoritarian dictator to say the least. ROWL
Joke of the century, especially that last remark on it being essential to adhere to promises. LOL+LMAO+ROWL.
moncurcool 3 years, 2 months ago
If last nights meeting left Kwasi Thompson in a stronger position to be leader of the FNM over Michael Pintard, then the FNM is toned deaf and has not learned anything.
tribanon 3 years, 2 months ago
Bingo!
Islangal1 3 years, 2 months ago
He had to have blind to NOT see that landslide defeat coming! And talkin isht. He could stepped own the night he phoned Brave to concede.
pro_test 3 years, 2 months ago
Huge Mistake, now he will select Senators loyal to him, we already know what he thinks of former leaders (that they are there to out shine him) so he will be doing it to the new leader. He will back a leader that use to kiss his hip so that leader will not be able to control him. there is know way this will end well.
sheeprunner12 3 years, 2 months ago
Isn't the FNM considered the real democrats from the line of Cecil? Where is that spirit today? Or is the Ingraham ghost hanging over the party? ....... Shake the devil off!!!
tribanon 3 years, 2 months ago
Had the voter turnout in Killarney not been so low, the devil incarnate probably would not have a seat in the new parliament and shaking him off for good would have been much easier.
Emilio26 3 years, 2 months ago
The only reason why Dr. Minnis won his seat in Kilarney is because of his wealthy white supporters in Old Fort Bay and Lyford Cay.
TalRussell 3 years, 2 months ago
In other post-2021 ElectionNews: The Guardian's Talkie RadioStation's owners' memo to the station's talkie shows hosts is already generating switcharoo — pro-government results, — With at least one talkie, Comrade Juan, who is at this very moment — just 7-days into a PLP administration — live-on-air — Clearly and surprisingly — carrying on for a — pay raise — for the incoming House-elected MPs' — and cabinet ministers. — You just can't make this kind of live-on-air — switcharoo stuff up, — Yes?
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 1 month ago
Juan said the MPs should get an increase from 2017. He has not changed his position. He said pay them but set out clear responsibilities of the job
TalRussell 3 years, 1 month ago
Really, MyComradeThisIs, it is under talkie's Comrade Juan's — Code of Conduct, — you want to be applied against the 39 House-elected MPs',— Yes?
FrustratedBusinessman 3 years, 2 months ago
FNM should just start planning for 2031 if they put up Kwasi as leader lol. These people must not go outside; everyone and their dog knew that Brave was going to blow Minnis out of the water, yet they somehow legitimately thought that they were going to win, and are now doubling down on their stupid mistakes.
Pintard and Cartwright is the best combination for leader/deputy. Pintard won a swing seat with the biggest margin for the FNM, even bigger than St. Anne's, and Cartwright managed to hold onto an inner city seat out of all places. Quite obviously, they are loved by their constituents and were in touch with what they were feeling. East Grand Bahama will vote FNM if they run a potcake, that seat should not be used to gauge public levels of support for a leader.
TalRussell 3 years, 2 months ago
@ComradeFrustrated, even those seasoned in elections were not among your, — "Everyone knew that Brave was going to blow Minnis out of the water." — Elections have many moving parts that shouldn't be expected to perform like a fine-tuned Swiss watch. — The power to waved goodbyes to Minnis and Co, was largely dependent on the number of Popoulaces registering to vote, the percentage actually turned out to vote, and spoiled ballots and their ability to even get to the polls — the ease once at polls to —freely mark their ballots. — And, the political parties — not being blocked from campaign advertising on the — government's controlled — radio and TV networks, —Yes?
FrustratedBusinessman 3 years, 1 month ago
True enough Tal. Let me word it like this then, Minnis certainly was (and still is) deeply unpopular with the colonies populaces. Judging by the fact that we haven't had an incumbent government re-elected since 1997, it was a political death sentence to go in with such a low popular appeal. The blowout wouldn't have been so bad if the FNM had called a convention and put someone else there to lead them in, but it probably would have been a PLP victory regardless. National trend continues to hold firm.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 1 month ago
notice Adrian Kwasi and Bethel behind Minnis. Minnis seems to like people willing to bend rules or people he can bend
UN 3 years, 1 month ago
Sign of a corrupt nation: for over a year - one woman sent MANY emails to the PM = we ‘professionals’ couldn’t be bothered to reply. Gaming brothers on speed dial. Sol Kerzner (we worked to help keep him far away from us/in exclusive communities) on speed dial. Dey is man. HAITIAN-Misogyny..
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