FNM party leader Michael Pintard speaking during the 2024 FNM convention held at Baha Mar on Saturday. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard said he would participate in leadership debates before the next general election.
He also confirmed his support for term limits for the prime minister.
He said the FNM’s internal caucus must discuss fixed election dates, though he would support this if flexibility to accommodate unforeseen circumstances is allowed.
“I don’t believe it should be willy nilly that a prime minister determines any time of the year that he’s ready to go to election,” he said. “I think you need some predictability in the election system, so I’m not averse to it.”
He made the comments while a guest on Guardian Radio’s Morning Blend yesterday.
In opposition, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said he was prepared to debate Dr Hubert Minnis before the 2021 election.
Dr Minnis, however, never took up the challenge. Former FNM chairman Carl Culmer said there was no need for a debate.
Likewise, before the 2012 general election, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham declined to participate in national debates after Perry Christie agreed.
Ahead of the last general election, the University of The Bahamas partnered with Verizon Media Group to host a series of pre-election debates. All major parties participated except the Free National Movement.
Mr Culmer said party officials found several “critical defects” in the proposed debate format, including that only one for-profit media house was involved in producing the event.
Comments
ExposedU2C 1 week ago
Pintard really needs to get his head screwed on straight when it comes to fully understanding our system of government.
One of the most important hallmarks of our system of government is that no government is given a guarantee that it will remain in power for a pre-determined set period of time. This is necessary to incentivize the opposing party to be vigilant and aggressive in presenting its views on matters of national importance and the conduct of the government at all times, and not just in a national election year.
As for term limits on being PM, I am supportive of the laws being changed so that no PM serves more than a maximum of two terms, whether consecutive or not, and that no one who has served as PM for two terms ever be eligible to seek elected office again.
As for all other cabinet ministers, they should be limited to serving no more than two terms as such, no matter whether consecutive or not, and no matter the ministry they headed. This would greatly help our nation free itself of the utterly useless and incompetent political dinosaurs like sleazy Freddy Boy Mitchell and loud-mouthed Glenys Hanna-Martin.
moncurcool 6 days, 20 hours ago
So are you saying not having a pre-determined set period of time between elections is what keeps an opposition incentivize to be vigilant? And having a fixed election date will not keep them vigilant? I guess our neighbour to the North then can never have an opposition that is vigilant, since they have fixed election dates?
I concur with you on the term limits for Prime Ministers.
And just like we can have a PM term limits, we can have a fixed election date, so people are no disenfranchised from voting by these elections called at the whim of a PM and they did not get to register. A mature democracy does not hide elections. Only dictatorships that want to rule do that.
ExposedU2C 6 days, 16 hours ago
You forget my friend that billions of dollars and millions of hours are wasted on the U.S. election cycle as a result of its use of fixed dates for mid-term and national elections. The mainstream and social media enterprises in the U.S. make out like bandits while most Americans must endure what seems to be a never ending elections process. We avoid this dreadful waste of a society's resources by not having a fixed national election date under our system of government.
SP 6 days, 15 hours ago
"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"
ExposedU2C 5 days, 22 hours ago
Davis is too busy stealing to debate.
The ongoing big BPL rip-off will need to be entirely undone by the next government as it is tantamount to theft of vital state assets by a corrupt and most greedy cabal led by Snake and his local and foreign business partners. Enormous profits will be made by Snake and his partners while Bahamian taxpayers will be left on the hook for all of the existing indebtedness our nation has taken on in connection with BPL. This indebtedness now amounts to many hundreds of millions of dollars, possibly more than a billion dollars plus over the last two decades.
Make no mistake about it, this great BPL rip-off represents an existential threat to the national security interests of our nation. Turning our energy sector over to a corrupt cabal led by Snake will give them the power to mercilessly target whomever they want with outrageously high and unaffordable electricity rates in order to force the sale (to themselves) of businesses, and residential and commercial properties. at fire sale prices. Snake employed this tactic when he forced many of the independent gas stations owners out of business by lowering their operating margins to the point where even the hiring of illegal Haitian aliens could not keep their businesses stay afloat.
And just look at what's happened to the price of gasoline over the last three decades since Snake consolidated his control over the sale of gasoline in our country. Can you imagine the outrageously high and unaffordable electricity bills most of us will receive if the corrupt and greedy Snake and his partners are allowed to consolidate their control over BPL? Already Bahamians and their businesses are suffering from sky high electricity costs because of the sweet deals the corrupt and greedy Snake and his partners have cut with BPL relating to fuel costs and the rental of commercial generators.
The very greedy and evil Snake knows that Davis's days as PM are numbered. He is therefore now pressing for this most harmful rip-off of state assets for the benefit of himself and his partners. The Tribune should be asking PM Davis point blank whether he has any skin in this royal rip-off. The owners of The Nassau Guardian certainly do.
TalRussell 5 days, 22 hours ago
I really don't understand why Pintard, --- Couldn't just have brought some experience and set an example.-- If only he had, under his skin, to have participated in a debate with a weaker Dr. Minnis. -- Ahead of the RedShirts' Movements' 1 June Convention. -- Yes?
Cobalt 5 days, 21 hours ago
Mr. Pintard! Don’t be a Mr. Retard! The Bahamian people don’t want anymore debates! We need direct action that results in economic relief! The last thing we need is more hot air coming out of your mouth. When it comes to y’all politicians it’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between a fart and a speech.
ExposedU2C 5 days, 18 hours ago
Pintard needs to be "his own man" and stop listening to the extinct dinosaur likes of Hubert Ingraham and Brent Symonette. He really needs to demonstrate that he possesses the strong leadership skills necessary to stand on his own two feet and wear his own pants. And he must recognise Tyrant Minnis for what he is - nothing but an albatross around the neck of the FNM party! The FNM will likely lose the Killarney constituency unless the party can somehow open the door to another FNM candidate (also) running in that constituency.
SP 5 days, 17 hours ago
if Pintard is stupid enough to take advice from total failures like Hubert and Brent WE DON"T NEED HIM!
SP 5 days, 17 hours ago
Regardless which party between the PLP or FNM wins, they will only remain bought and paid for puppets for the white financial base (UBP) and not one damn thing will change for the masses!
ExposedU2C 5 days, 16 hours ago
Snake, Sebas Bastian, Craig Flowers and many others just like them now make up the financial base you speak of. Your mind is stuck back in the era of your grandparents and great grandparents with the exception of course of Pop's two legitimate sons, Brent and Craig Symonette, who are still trying to pull behind the scenes whatever political strings they can for their own benefit.
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