FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Minnis speaks to the press outside FNM headquarters Friday after nominating to run for the leadership of the party. Former MP Renward Wells stands to his right. Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said he wants to return as leader of the Free National Movement because he has unfinished business.
Dr Minnis submitted his nomination to challenge Michael Pintard for leadership of the party at the FNM’s headquarters on Friday.
The move came after months of behind-the-scenes moves to generate support that made the party appear disunited in public. Dr Minnis rarely attended FNM press conferences or events that involved other FNM elected officials and his supporters at times took the party’s leadership to court to settle matters.
He said on Friday: “Many have asked why have I at this time put forth my nomination, especially when the press and many others were asking me this one important question for well over a year now and I had refused to answer such a question.”
“My view is and I would hope others would share a similar view, we had a leader of the party.
“Michael Pintard was a duly elected leader of the Free National Movement and there was no other post available at that time, and as leader, I respected that position, and I respected all other positions within the party.
“But once a convention is called, then all posts become available and at that time, I think everybody who wants to be nominated for a post can come forth and express their views, but until then I think we should respect those who are in positions and that was the reason.”
The FNM’s one-day convention will be held at Baha Mar on June 1.
Asked why he wants to return as leader, Dr Minnis said: “I have not completed some of the things I wanted to do.”
“My most happiest moments in politics are when I see young people exceed, when I see young people become entrepreneurs and doing well. That’s my most happiest moment in politics.
“My most saddened moment in politics is when I see individuals come into politics saying they want to serve the country, and then you discover that they are more interested in serving themselves, that is very depressing.”
Renward Wells, who had Cabinet portfolio responsibilities for the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport and various times under the Minnis administration, expressed admiration for Dr Minnis’s leadership abilities and was the most well-known person to join in support of Dr Minnis on Friday. Former Deputy Prime Minister Desmond Bannister was not there, but has said he supports Dr Minnis.
Mr Wells said: “I saw his leadership. I saw the kind of character he put forward in chaos, in challenge, and to me that was admirable. I saw his leadership in trying and testing times and so I grew fond of that kind of leadership and not just that.
“I believe that when we’re judging individuals, we got to stop looking sometimes at just the man. We got to look at the message that someone brings. We got to stop just looking at just the persons. We got to look at principles. We got to stop focusing on the idols. We got to start looking at the ideology, the ideas that are being put forward.”
Ultimately, Mr Wells did not nominate himself for a position but said he considered running for deputy leader or chairman.
Dr Minnis has never lost a race at an FNM convention. After resigning as leader in 2021, he did not challenge Mr Pintard at the leadership convention on November 27, 2021, but was said to favour Kwasi Thompson.
Mr Pintard received 297 votes, 67 per cent of the vote at that convention. Mr Thompson and Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis got 120 and 44 votes, respectively.
Comments
jackbnimble 6 months, 2 weeks ago
It is a sad day indeed when a former leader of a party that was soundly defeated at the polls is this delusional. The PLPs were banging on the tables when he walked into Parliament the other day. They are rooting for him to win as it equals a guaranteed second term for Brave Davis and Co. I tend to agree with them. Perhaps after the next beatdown, he will finally get a clue and go off into the sunset with Ingrahm and Christie.
TalRussell 6 months, 2 weeks ago
@ComradJackB, It's hard to distinguish a Minnis/Pintard led RedShirts' Movement from one another. --- Yes?
Cobalt 6 months, 2 weeks ago
@Jackbnimble Agreed 100%.
stillwaters 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Minnis, Bahamians don't have any unfinished business with you. Just please go away.
realfreethinker 6 months, 2 weeks ago
I beg you "PLEASE JUST GO"
Cobalt 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Agreed! This just proves how out of touch with the general public Minnis and the FNM party really are. Totally delusional.
ExposedU2C 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Thankfully many of us can see the Satanic horns this evil monster has protruding from his forehead. The voters in the Killarney constituency hopefully have come to their senses by now and will not be supporting this ruthlessly cruel tyrant, even if it means not voting at all in the next election.
Minnis's arrogance, nastiness, gross incompetence and megalomaniac attitude made the horrific consequences of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID pandemic many times worse than they need have been for our nation. Add to this his great propensity for squandering our country's limited resources, e.g., his very stupid decision to buy the Grand Lucayan property from Hutchison Whampoa and then proceed to invest many millions of dollars more in the property, all told exceeding $200 million.
Let's not forget too how he foolishly ignored the many financial and other problems at BPL and other SOEs. Minnis has zero management skills and has absolutely no understanding of basic economics and public finances. How this man ever became a doctor is mystifying to many.
Cobalt 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Don’t forget how dishonest and deceitful he was regarding the OBAN deal either. No way should any Bahamian vote for a government led by Hubert Minnis! No way!
AnObserver 6 months, 2 weeks ago
He wants to lock us all up again? Hard pass.
TalRussell 6 months, 2 weeks ago
RedShirts' @convention question: --- Will RedShirts' vote remain 'cult-led, over a return to live militarily'. --- Yes?
Cobalt 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Doesn’t Minnis realize that his mere presence within the FNM party is a SURE WIN for the PLP? The delegates within the FNM should have enough common sense to oust him from any potential leadership role. Hubert Minnis was cruel and heartless during the dark days of the pandemic. Then he abruptly abandoned his position throwing in the towel by calling an early election he was sure to lose, leaving Brave Davis and the PLP to clean up the mess. MINNIS NEEDS TO GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK.
ExposedU2C 6 months, 2 weeks ago
We must all pray the voters in the Killarney constituency and the leadership apparatus of the FNM party are no longer willing to carry the stink and rank piss of this cruel tyrant. The last thing we need is for any of his kind of most evil and nasty piss to rain down all over us ever again.
When it comes to the very demonic Minnis, he's rightfully despised and scorned by many of us for the type of person he is as opposed to the political party he chooses to identify himself with. The entire FNM party leadership and all voters in the Killarney constituency should be shunning him like no other.
Smart and sensible Bahamians everywhere have the ability to see the wicked Satanic horns that Minnis has protruding from his forehead.
DWW 6 months, 2 weeks ago
he needs that sweet sweet pension
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