By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Secretary General Michael Foulkes has said the party is “disappointed” over the “wrong” public impression that the party’s recent chairman election failed to attract the majority of its eligible council voters.

Sidney Collie defeated Rodney Moncur to win the FNM chairmanship contest last Thursday. Mr Collie won by 89 votes to the 27 votes cast in Mr Moncur’s favour. One of the ballots was spoiled.

Mr Foulkes, however, insisted that while it is true that 117 Central Council members voted, only 185 persons on the council were eligible to vote.

He released a statement, which sought to reject reports that it was anticipated that 202 people were eligible to vote for a new chairman, but only 63 per cent did so. Critics have been adamant that there was a low voter turnout because FNM delegates were apathetic about the contest.

“It has been inaccurately reported on a couple occasions that in excess of 100 and as much as 150 persons who were eligible to vote last Thursday did not or might not have voted, that is plainly not so,” Mr Foulkes said on Monday.

“We want the entire record to be clear. It is true, as reported that, in total 117 Central Council members voted. It is also true, however ,and most importantly that, only 185 persons on Council were eligible to vote.

“Hence, there were much less than 150 persons who were eligible to vote but did not. In fact, there were even less than 100 persons who were eligible to vote but did not. The reality is that, only 68 persons who were eligible to vote last Thursday night did not cast a vote.”

He continued: “We are disappointed that a wrong impression was left with the public in that the election participation was or might have been less than a majority of the eligible voters on council. In fact, of those persons who were eligible to vote, the participation was just over 63 per cent.”

“At any given Central Council meeting, be it a regular monthly or a special-called meeting, it is very difficult to reasonably draw conclusions as to why more than 63 per cent of those eligible to vote, might not have attended, especially when considering Grand Bahama and Family Island members.”

Some have said that the turnout level was less than optimal because the event had less significance since the party will hold another convention in seven months, when the chairmanship’s position will be contested again.

Following his win, Mr Collie said he was committed to doing whatever it took to ensure that the FNM secures the 2017 election, contending that the county is in turmoil and suffering gravely from the continuous mishaps of the Christie administration.

Mr Collie proclaimed that the road to “rescuing the country” was finally underway.

“In seven months, the FNM is going into convention. Between now and then, all the organs of the party, all the associations of the party, all the islands in the country, Grand Bahama and all the constituencies in New Providence are going to be mobilised so that we can put on the best national convention together,” he said.

“Once that convention is over, we are going to hit the ground running with our campaign coordinating team, with our voters drive and with our canvassing. We are not going to stop and we will not relent until we take back this government from the PLP,” Mr Collie said.