Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Dr Duane Sands speaks during a press conference at FNM Headquarters on Sept 2, 2024. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement (FNM) incumbent parliamentarians are not guaranteed a nomination in the next general election, FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands said yesterday, adding that every potential candidate will undergo a selection process.
His comment came as the party began its first training session for aspirants, with about 50 people participating as the first cohort.
The interactive sessions will cover topics such as history, the FNM’s values, principles of governance, and politics.
As the election approaches, there has been speculation about who may not receive party nominations.
Dr Sands said local and international agencies will vet participants to assess their fitness to serve in the House of Assembly and represent the FNM.
“The executive committee of the Free National Movement serves as the candidate selection committee,” he said. “That executive committee is chaired by our leader, Michael Pintard. A number of persons were recently elected to serve on the executive and a number of persons are constitutionally appointed by the leader. The final step of the process, after vetting, after consideration by the executive committee, will be ratification by the central council of the Free National Movement.”
Dr Sands added that constituency associations will have significant input in selecting candidates.
He did not confirm whether former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis will participate in the training sessions.
“We have a strict non-disclosure approach, and so I am not minded to tell you who has participated to date, nor am I likely to tell you,” he said. “Understand that we are dealing with a very spiteful and vindictive administration, and there are persons who could lose their job, people who would find themselves victimised, and so I’m not going to go down a slippery slope.”
Current FNM parliamentarians include leader Marco City MP Michael Pintard, deputy leader St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright, East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson, Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis, Long Island MP Adrian Gibson, St Anne’s MP Adrian White and Killarney MP Dr Minnis.
Comments
ExposedU2C 3 months, 3 weeks ago
This politically tone deaf and most foolish man is basically saying the voice of the voters in a constituency does not matter to those who control the FNM party.
Forget these most ridiculous interactive sessions that tend to favour more lawyers or doctors! This daft doctor and the others who govern the administrative apparatus of the FNM party fail to appreciate that what our country needs most is a slate of electable political candidates of known integrity who are possessed of a demonstrated history of both business and common sense. The last thing our nation needs is more lawyers or doctors in parliament, especially of the kind that owe their stature within the FNM party to cronyism or, even worse, nepotism.
Is Sands for real....did he really say "international agencies"??!!! Who the hell is he talking about here. Since when did our nation, and more specifically the FNM party, start allowing outside foreign agencies to have a say and sway in who the Bahamian people can and cannot vote for?!!!
Talk about a lame and bullshiit excuse for keeping all of the skullduggery and underhandedness that now goes on at the executive committees and central council away from the eyes and ears of the party faithful who truly deserve some degree of transparency in the candidate selection process.
Sands has been and continues to prove himself to be a dismal failure as Chairman of the FNM party. And this is one of the main reasons why so many of us are now praying for many more independent candidates to throw their hat into the political ring across all constituencies.
Bottom line: When it comes to an abundance of incompetence and corruption, both the PLP and FNM governments alike really take not only the cake, but also the icing, the crumbs, and everything else, leaving nothing but abject misery and suffering for the many struggling Bahamians today. Enough is enough!!!
birdiestrachan 3 months, 3 weeks ago
The PLP had their training session before the last election , doc spiteful and vindictive is what the FNM did to senior officers of the police force and those trumped up charges that went all the way to the privy council, The Bahamian people paid , doc have you talked to Ms Charles of the Miami Herald lately ?.
birdiestrachan 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Dr Minnis gone for sure doc and Mr Pintard Seems to be writing on the wall doc you gone
TalRussell 3 months, 3 weeks ago
A newspaper's Comrade Storyteller-in-Chief -- At the early pre-development stage of a Last Supper (1+3) story series that's not so difficult for readers to believe. -- As told by Comrade Earyel Bowleg, about a RedParty's chairman -- Signaling his primary pledge upon winning his party's coveted post of chairman, was, and remains, that of dishing-out RedParty discipline upon any you remain Minniss'. -- Yes?
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