By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Elizabeth candidate Dr Duane Sands said his decision not to run for party chairman came, in part, due to his candidacy in the upcoming general election.

Dr Sands said while “many” of his political colleagues had encouraged him to pursue the post, he viewed the position as “far too critical to the party’s success” to balance it with his 2017 general election bid.

“The chairmanship is a full-time post, one that is often far too critical to the party’s success to do along with everything else,” Dr Sands said. He said that anyone pursuing the post has to fully understand the scope of work that they are taking on.

“Whoever is selected has to become the party’s voice on every fluid topic and occurrence. I couldn’t dedicate myself to that post at this time. I have already dedicated myself to the work necessary to win the Elizabeth seat in the next election. I am focused on that.”

Former Blue Hills MP Sidney Collie and former DNA candidate for the Bain Town and Grants Town constituency, now FNM member, Rodney Moncur, JP were the only two candidates to be nominated for the post.

Dr Sands praised both men, suggesting that they offered a wealth of experience that could aid the party ahead of the 2017 general election.

He said, while either of the two could flourish in the role of chairman, they represented two “vastly different ideologies”, stating that the difference was as stark as “chalk and cheese, night and day”.

Dr Sands said he had not made a final decision on which of the two men to support, but stressed that he could conclude his deliberation in the coming days.

On Tuesday, former Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette conveyed “surprise” over the direction the party’s nomination process for a new chairman had taken, hinting that there was an understanding that only one person would offer for the post.

Mr Collie was the nomination foreshadowed by many in the FNM’s top brass. Hours before the party closed the nomination process for the position, Mr Moncur told The Tribune he had also nominated himself.

Speaking to The Tribune moments after officially offering himself to contest the post, Mr Moncur criticised the FNM and the governing PLP, insisting neither organisation had presented adequate strategies to arrest crime or pin down issues within the law that prevented murderers from being executed.

He added: “The party lacks a fighting machinery and I think I have that capacity and this is fundamentally it.”

A vote is expected to take place at the FNM’s headquarters during a special council meeting on April 14 at 7.30pm.

Michael Pintard resigned from the post last month. Brensil Rolle was named interim chairman shortly after.