By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement (FNM) has begun interviewing hopefuls for a place on the party's general election ticket in 2017, chairman Michael Pintard said on Friday.

More than a dozen people seeking a constituency nomination have been interviewed already by the party's candidates committee, he said.

He added that numerous people have expressed serious interest in running in every vacant constituency in the country, saying interest in a nomination has been intense, a reflection, he said, of the country's "disappointment" in the Christie Administration.

"We are in the process of interviewing candidates and in short order we will begin the process of ratifying candidates," Mr Pintard said. "Those constituencies that are vacant, we have had multiple persons interested in all of the constituencies and in some cases as many as four persons vying for nomination. There is no constituency where only one person is interested."

People seeking the party's nomination can attract the attention of the candidates committee through several means.

While they could send a letter directly to the party's national office, they are advised to send a letter of their interest to their constituency associations, Mr Pintard said.

The candidates committee is an executive branch of the FNM, comprising people who have been elected to office as well as those who have not. Ultimately, those who the committee believe are "standard bearers of the party" will go before the general council.

"The general council weighs in but ultimately the leader makes the determination," Mr Pintard said.

Mr Pintard admitted that prospective candidates who fail to be highlighted by the candidates committee or the general council could still be nominated because the party's leader is not constrained in his nomination powers.

"The leader has flexibility," Mr Pintard said. "In times past the leader has exercised his authority to draw from that list or to introduce to the association and national party offices someone who did not appear on the list. Some people may emerge late. The point is it's ultimately the leader's prerogative to make the decision."

Mr Pintard said most of the people who have expressed interest in running for the FNM have been young, adding that the majority of the selections will be new candidates.

"This is very encouraging and refreshing," he said. "Some of these have worked in the trenches but have not been involved in frontline politics or politically at all. They include business persons and activists. Given the state of the country and need for leadership, it was important to step forward.

"The candidates committee is keenly aware that it is always a good thing to have a combination of experience and persons with fresh ideas on the same team. That combination and balance will always be there and we have a rich mix of youth, experience, people from different socio-economic brackets and gender."

Mr Pintard added that the party is not ruling out people based on whether they have previously been affiliated with political organisations, saying: "They will be vetted like everyone else."

Mr Pintard's statements come amid speculation about who may represent the FNM in key constituencies in 2017.

Following a Tribune report this week that party leader Dr Hubert Minnis met former senator Heather Hunt to discuss her candidacy in the Yamacraw constituency recently, former FNM chairman Dion Foulkes released a statement noting his desire to run for that seat in 2017.

Mr Pintard said: "We are not surprised as an organisation that prospective candidates have sought to go to the media to demonstrate support they are garnering on the ground in the particular constituency that they are interested in because there is great enthusiasm not just in New Providence but elsewhere in the Bahamas by a number of Bahamians in offering to be the standard bearer for the FNM in various constituencies.

"There has been great dissatisfaction with the PLP government thus far and persons are interested in providing better opportunities for the Bahamas and in pursing that outcome they're coming forth showing interest in running. Less there be any confusion, however, no candidate in a vacant constituency has been ratified by the candidates committees yet."