By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner said yesterday she will spend the last few hours before today’s party convention lobbying delegates with “a last rallying pep talk.”

Mrs Butler-Turner told The Tribune she has done all she can in the past four weeks and is proud of the work she and her team have put into her campaign to become the party’s new leader.

FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis and Mrs Butler-Turner are vying for the party’s leadership today. It is unclear if others will emerge in the leadership race, but it is possible for a “dark horse” to be nominated at the last minute.

Dr Minnis’ movements yesterday leading up to the vote were not clear. Earlier in the week, Dr Minnis said he would not make any statement to the press until after the convention.

If successful in her bid, Mrs Butler-Turner will become the first woman to lead the FNM, putting her in a position to become the country’s first female prime minister.

An online poll last night asking Tribune readers who they were backing in the leadership battle showed Mrs Butler-Turner leading with 58 per cent of the vote to Dr Minnis’ 42 per cent.

“I am focused now on all I have done over the past few weeks,” Mrs Butler-Turner said. “My team is now helping the delegates, who flew in from the Family Islands, settle in. We are also having a couple of receptions to remind them why they should stay focused on my campaign.

“The overriding theme of my campaign is for everyone to be united, to stand together. We have to come out and be strong enough to continue to fight and ensure we have victory in 2017. I am still very confident going in as I was at the beginning. We had a plan, which I followed. We had the opportunity to meet the delegates individually and collectively, I shared my vision and presented my plans on the way forward.”

In a statement earlier this week, the Long Island MP also outlined her plans if elected as party leader and ultimately prime minister.

She said her plan for the Bahamas, among other things, is to expand opportunities for economic growth and employment; reduce the cost of living; bring new initiatives to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour; greater protection of the country’s borders; and enhanced education and training.

As party leader, she said she would retire the FNM’s “substantial remaining debt”; create a leadership development and training institute for candidates, party officials and campaign workers and expand the FNM’s outreach on social media.

“I feel very confident, more than confident,” she told The Tribune. “I certainly believe that the delegates believe in me and they are the ones who have the power to determine exactly where they want this party to go. I rolled out a campaign on October 13 and it was well planned and I am proud of the way the campaign has been conducted.”

FNM Chairman Darron Cash, Deputy Chairman Dr Duane Sands and East Grand Bahama MP K Peter Turnquest are expected to vie for the deputy leader’s post. Former Minister of State for Environment Phenton Neymour and Senator Michael Pintard are expected to run for party chairman.

The convention begins at 8:30am at Holy Trinity’s Convention Centre in Stapleton Gardens and the results of the votes are expected early this evening.