By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis was moved to tears as he paid tribute to Charles Maynard in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Dr Minnis became emotional as he described a man he called his friend, his colleague and his brother.

“My saddest moment was, after receiving the call and hearing the news and knowing that I was not at the spot where he was. I felt had I been there I may have made a difference. It may not have, Mr Speaker, but that is something I will have to live with and that conflict will always be with me,” he said.

“His passing is a devastating blow to the official opposition, but we are thankful to him for so much. He was the promise of a new generation, a generation of responsible, youthful but experienced leadership. He was coming to the fore in his leadership in the party and in the community was also higher. As much as Charles Maynard loved his party and found a home within our ranks, we loved our Charlie.”

Dr Minnis said Mr Maynard dedicated his life to service and his care for others made the FNM even better to serve each and every Bahamian in the Bahamas.

“Today,” he said, “I speak in painful and respectful tribute to mark the passage of our friend, our colleague and our bother, my brother, Charles Maynard. To his loving wife Zelena, his parents, his family and his Golden Isles Constituency, we offer our deepest and most sincere condolence on behalf of the official opposition and I express profound thanks and appreciation to each of you.”

“To Charlie, I know that you are listening to me. I say to you, Charlie, sleep on my brother. Be assured that I will complete your job. Be assured that I will deliver North Abaco for you. Rest in peace, my brother.”

He said he spoke to Mr Maynard just hours before his death. He said: “We were arguing about how many votes we would win by. Defeat was not in our vocabulary. God willing, all my efforts will go towards doing what Charles wanted to do – win this by-election.”