By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

HITTING back at claims that he was in talks to rejoin the FNM, Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney yesterday announced the launch of his party’s 2017 election campaign.

Mr McCartney said that there have been no discussions or “back door deal” between the Free National Movement and himself.

He accused the FNM of trying to destabilize support for the DNA, adding that he heard reports that the FNM has attempted to recruit DNA executives and former candidates.

“We (DNA) are going full steam ahead,“ said Mr McCartney, “we are garnering more support. We have had more support over the last two months than the two major parties, in terms of persons coming over, in terms of membership and interest levelled towards us. It has been amazing.”

He said: “The PLP is messing up royally and they have proven that they don’t know what they are doing. They have proven that they can win an election, but they can’t govern a country, they have proven that and that is so sad.”

Despite criticisms from both major parties that his fledgling party was “insignificant”, Mr McCartney said the FNM has admitted that the emergence of a third party influenced the 2012 General Election.

Mr McCartney said: “The FNM saying that the (DNA) caused them (PLP) to be there. This is the same FNM that said we (DNA) were insignificant, just noise in the market, the party that was only around for 11 months, this party caused the defeat of a party around for so many years?”

FNM Chairman Daron Cash yesterday said that the party was not “courting” Mr McCartney.

The 2017 campaign officially started last week Wednesday in South Beach, according to Mr McCartney, who said that a formal announcement had not yet been made.

Mr McCartney said the rumours that he may rejoin his former party stemmed from photos of him with several FNM members at a pro-hanging march last week that were posted on FaceBook.

He explained that he was “still very friendly with a number of people from the FNM and PLP”.