The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said he supports the Free National Movement’s West Grand Bahama and Bimini by-election candidate, but added that “the FNM had a great history running in by-elections and losing”.

The Tribune reported last month that during a closed-door FNM council meeting, Michael Pintard told those attending that Mr Ingraham advised him not to run a candidate in the by-election because the contests have historically favoured the Progressive Liberal Party.

Mr Ingraham and Mr Pintard declined to comment at the time.

Yesterday, Mr Ingraham clarified his position, saying when Mr Pintard asked him his views about the election, he told him his history with the contests.

 “When I became leader of the FNM in 1990, there was a by-election at the end of that year. I had to fight immediately for Wallace Whitfield’s seat,” he said. “That was our seat, the FNM seat. We fought it and we won it.

 “By the end of the following year, the PLP manufactured a vacancy for the Englerston seat. When Sir Clifford Darling resigned and they nominated Peter Bethel, I said no, I am not going to run in that by-election at all. The FNM stayed out.

 “They didn’t catch me then so the next year they had Ervin Knowles resign for the Cat Island seat. That’s how Brave got in the House of Assembly. I said no I’m not taking that one.

“I did explain to him that later on they had a discussion going on that they wanted to have a by-election in Oakes Field and I made it clear, I had a public meeting saying if you come with that one I will take it, so I told him that he needed to make a decision as to what he ought to do, that the FNM had a great history of running in by-elections and losing and that the only by-election we had won was the one I told you about in 1990 with myself.

 “The decision was his to make as to whether or not we run or not, not mine to make.”

 Mr Ingraham said he expects to speak at an upcoming rally in the West Grand Bahama and Bimini constituency in support of Bishop Grant.