By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday that the party will likely choose its Senate replacement for John Bostwick from the same list of candidates who were under consideration following the resignation of Zhivargo Laing from the Upper Chamber last year.

FNM sources told The Tribune that the party might make its Senate selection as early as next Thursday at an executive committee meeting.

When Mr Laing resigned from the Upper Chamber in 2013, Dr Minnis revealed that Pakesha Parker Edgecombe, Michael Pintard, Winsome Miller, Carl Bethel, Mr Bostwick and Michael Foulkes were six of 11 potential candidates for the post.

Minnis did not want to reveal the names of the other contenders when asked yesterday. The Tribune understands of that list the FNM is still considering Ms Parker Edgecombe and Mr Foulkes as frontrunners to replace Mr Bostwick.

Mr Bostwick’s Senate seat was vacated after Dr Minnis revoked his appointment “with immediate effect” on Wednesday after he refused to resign in light of the criminal charge against him.

Mr Bostwick was charged in Magistrates Court on Monday with possession of ammunition. He pleaded not guilty and was granted $9,000 bail.

Dr Minnis told The Tribune that the FNM has a cadre of old and new potential candidates to select from.

“The FNM has a long list of people to draw from,” he said, confirming that the party will be drawing from the same pool of names that were under consideration when Mr Bostwick was selected.

“We have not considered it yet who will replace Bostwick but we have a deep bench,” Dr Minnis said.

“Whoever I put there will be competent and will be able to defend the FNM’s position and will be able to attack the PLP on any nonsense that they present that we don’t think is in the best interest in the Bahamian public.”

Dr Minnis also said he is not afraid the FNM’s Senate team will be weaker without Mr Bostwick because Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate Carl Bethel “is doing an excellent job.”

Mr Bostwick was sworn in as a senator in February 2013.

He lost his bid for the Bain and Grants Town constituency in the 2012 general election.

On Wednesday Dr Minnis said it was difficult to ask for the resignation of someone he “loved like a son”, but he had to think about what was best for the country.

According to a statement released by Mr Bostwick’s legal counsel, the former Senator was prepared to resign on Monday, the day he was arraigned on ammunition charges, but reconsidered out of fear that the move would make him appear guilty of the charges.