Thursday, March 27, 2014
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
FNM Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner once again denied a rift between herself and party leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday, despite Dr Minnis publicly distancing himself from a protest she intended to lead.
Dr Minnis told The Tribune on Tuesday that the demonstration was “not an FNM event” and has “nothing to do with the party.”
For months, both leaders have reportedly been at odds, with party insiders saying that in most instances there is little to “no real communication” between the two.
However, speaking with The Tribune, Mrs Butler-Turner defended Dr Minnis comments saying he spoke with the press before she had an opportunity to update him on her plans. In fact, she said once she spoke with the party leader Tuesday evening, she not only received his full support, but also the support of her other Parliamentary colleagues.
Mrs Butler Turner blamed the entire situation on “miscommunication”, but admitted she would have handled it differently if she were Dr Minnis.
“I would not have handled it that way, but each one of us is different. What happened is I sent all of my Parliamentary colleagues an email on Monday detailing my plans. However, Dr Minnis told me he didn’t get the email and then said ‘Oh by the way, I spoke with the media and told them I did not know anything about this demonstration. So everyone was shocked to see his comments in the paper this morning,” he said.
“We all communicate via email, but he said he did not get it that day. But once I spoke with him I got his support for my initiative as well as the support from my colleagues. However, at this point we have postponed the march and have decided to take another avenue.”
In a press release issued last night, FNM Chairman Darron Cash said he agrees that Bahamians should march in “protest of the PLP’s failure and deceit on the mortgage relief programme.” However he questioned who should lead that protest.
“Furthermore,” he said, “the Deputy’s statement should be taken in context. Yes, she did call for people to join her. However, the inference was very clear that the issue would be discussed with her Parliamentary colleagues to assess their perspectives. The issue was in fact discussed and the consensus position was precisely as was well articulated by the party leader Dr Hubert Minnis – the Party would not lead such a march or demonstration. The team understood that the FNM’s involvement in any such protest as a lead organizer – at this time – would immediately give the Government further excuse for under-performance by insisting that the people’s protest was politically motivated.”
In an interview earlier this week, Mrs Butler-Turner said the Prime Minister abused his power when he called the managing director of a bank and stopped the repossession of the home of VAT coordinator Ishmael Lightbourne. Mrs Butler-Turner then urged activists and struggling homeowners to join her and the FNM in a peaceful protest outside Parliament to demonstrate against Prime Minister Perry Christie.
However, Mrs Butler Turner said the protest for now has been postponed as she has “other initiatives in the works.”
Comments
sheeprunner12 says...
LBT doesnt have to defend what she said, she is only calling for ALL right thinking Bahamians to get off their asses and speak out/demonstrate the corrupt political system (both PLP, FNM and DNA etc) that exists in our country today................ that takes guts on her part. She should be supported by all of us.... however some of us are so mired in petty politics that we cant see past party colours...................... SAD
Posted 27 March 2014, 12:29 p.m. Suggest removal
hurricane says...
Where is the comrade fool today?
Posted 27 March 2014, 12:42 p.m. Suggest removal
JohnDoes says...
He will be here shortly, hes running late 'comrade hurricanes'
Posted 27 March 2014, 2:07 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
There is a rift, But would any one really expect those in the FNM party to say so? Of course not. As I often say they can lie with the best of them. all day and every day. and almost all night except for a few hours of sleep
Posted 27 March 2014, 1:28 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Tis the reds who are late dealing with their rifts which have now grown beyond their secret headquarters internal walls over on Mackey Street. Comrades, if you’re feeling really surprised with Long Island’s MP Loretta canceling her call for thousands to march you wouldn’t, if you had watched her rewind, rewind and rewind her pervious actions/statements before. One has wonder, if Long Islander's were also among those kept misinformed/uninformed about their MP’s planned protest march? Long Island's Captain in the House of Assembly has had to admit, she may have once again been mistaken into sailing her 'leadership vessel" into rough seas, when dozens of her own reds rushed to Tribune blog pages, with angry words aimed at the Island MP, voicing they had no intention of boarding her protest vessel to Rawson Square. However, Comrade Sister "Protest Canceled" Loretta has began sounding more like PM Christie, when he's trapped in his own blunders, by excusing her war of words with her leader as nothing more than some misunderstanding. Comrade Sister, why didn't you just come out and say, this whole call to protest has backfired badly on yourself and not some lame excuse about how "you" decided "your" attempt to organize "your" protest, has for now been postponed, as "you" have “other initiatives in the works.” Comrade ladies and gentleman's, this is what's left of Hubert's once, all powerful, deeply in debt red party. You know the reds in deep trouble when even the red bloggers are saying their own Amen's!
Posted 27 March 2014, 2:18 p.m. Suggest removal
hurricane says...
I think you out did yourself with the comrade abuse in this post LOL!
Posted 27 March 2014, 5:35 p.m. Suggest removal
killemwitdakno says...
What red blogs?
Posted 27 March 2014, 9:28 p.m. Suggest removal
GrassRoot says...
I think Long Island should declare independency from the Bahamas. Besides that, LBT is right, it is a corrupt system, thoroughly corrupt. So I suggest someone presses charges against the current government, so am sure the glass houses on both sides will fall. Keep throwing stones please.
Posted 27 March 2014, 2:59 p.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Long Island is independent to a certain extent................ thanks to the PLP both old and new. despite the years of political discrimination they cannot break the spirit of the sheeprunners................ check our level of educational productivity, low social services budget, income generation, entrepreneurial spirit, civil service leadership etc.
Posted 27 March 2014, 3:50 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Comrades with wild donkeys being hunted into extinction, Potcake shak'in in he boots with alarming news reaching the Chairman of BEC's desk, that his workers were 'held hostage" while cutting off lights of 'non-hotel' delinquent electricity accounts. The government's broadcasting of emergency 'April Fool' reports via the media, warning residents of a life threaten Tsunami heading their way, and if you leave your vehicle out in public the government is go'in dispatch tow trucks to snatch your vehicle and then fine you a whopping $500 ..... pray tell Bahamalander's where in the hell does Minnis and Loretta be's mak'in the time to conduct their on-go'in leadership battle? Like I keep saying, even i can't make this stuff up, tis the truth. Just maybe Inagua's wild donkey population hasn't dwindled to the degree the experts believe, considering a few might have escaped the Island to swim to Nassau Town.
Posted 27 March 2014, 7:53 p.m. Suggest removal
JohnDoes says...
The PLP is on its last straw. The FNM is currently crumbling beneath Mold infested Mackey Headquarters, and that is why they rather send emails to each other instead of actually meeting face-to-face in their dusty cracked pleather conference room. Who's hand will the mace be in for 2017? Im afraid the Comrades are soon to disperse. Also did you not notice PGC's hint at his last term during the Election Campaign when offering to build a PM's residence for humbled FNM leader Minnis or whoever qualifies?
Posted 27 March 2014, 8:13 p.m. Suggest removal
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