By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson expects the next Free National Movement chairman to be someone favoured by FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis.

The nomination process to decide who will be the FNM’s next chairman ends tonight, with a vote expected to take place during a special council meeting on April 14 that is not open to the press.

Thus far, only Sidney Collie, a former FNM minister of local government, has been nominated for the position.

Mr Collie could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Acting Chairman Brensil Rolle told The Tribune yesterday that he will not run for the post, but did not say why.

Meanwhile, Mr Watson praised Mr Collie, calling him “an experienced fellow” that is “knowledgeable,” although he questioned whether the former MP for Blue Hills could find the time to perform the role of chairman if he is elected.

Regarding whether he can execute his duties in a way that is fair to the party, Mr Watson said: “He should be his own man.”

Not all agree with his sentiment, however.

One former high-ranking party official who spoke to The Tribune on the condition of anonymity yesterday said Mr Collie would be a “person totally controlled by Hubert Minnis and therefore someone incapable of representing the broad interests of a divided party.”

The insider added: “He won’t be someone who is widely regarded as being a fair minded person who will represent all points of view and segments of a fairly divided organisation.”

The source argued that the chairmanship battle could serve as a proxy fight for leadership of the FNM, although this is unlikely because of the fact that most members of the FNM’s council are believed to be supporters of Dr Minnis.

The chairmanship battle comes as some in the FNM continue to have concerns about Dr Minnis stewardship of the party, with Mr Watson telling this newspaper recently: “I don’t know how much more of this we can take.”

“The anti-Minnis forces have been coalescing in recent weeks,” the source said. “Which battle are they prepared to fight? Will talk translate into action?”

The move to elect a new FNM chairman comes after the former chairman, Michael Pintard, resigned on March 21 over questions stemming from his involvement in a controversy that also involved fashion mogul Peter Nygard.

According to an affidavit filed by the environmental group Save The Bays on March 9, Mr Pintard was named as being the person who uncovered an alleged murder for hire plot concerning Mr Nygard.

In 2015 Mr Pintard met frequently with Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma, two men named in court documents as allegedly being hired by Mr Nygard to threaten and harass Mr Nygard’s opponents.

The men were paid for their testimony, according to the affidavit filed by a US investigator. After the information was made public, some in the Progressive Liberal Party called on Mr Pintard to resign and questioned why he did not immediately report these allegations to police.

Mr Nygard has since filed court documents where Bullard and Davilma allege they were paid for “false testimony” against him.

He has also filed suit against Mr Pintard, Dr Minnis, Save The Bays and others.