By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

SOUTH Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly was yesterday noncommittal on whether he will offer himself as a candidate for the Free National Movement in the next general election.

He explained that it was too early for him to give any confirmations as he remains in talks with his family and representatives of the constituency association.

Asked is he could reveal when he would be ratified as a candidate for the FNM, he said: “No. I will say straight forward that I am going through a process now of meeting with my family and my association and together we will make a decision on what happens and the way forward. So as it relates to ratification there is a process regardless of what happens. 

“I know the process of the FNM. Firstly an individual decision has to be made then you go to the association which is the ground and the foundation of the party and they put their recommendation forward on whether the person should be who it should be and who they wish to be the candidate.  From there you go to the council, the executive council, the candidates committee before ratification.

“So ratification is the last step when we haven’t started the first step. So I can’t say no ratification regardless of what happens it won’t be immediately.”

He continued: “I don’t want to be a dictator and say yes. My family is a different regard but as it relates to the association I don’t know what their feelings and thoughts are.

“I don’t want to say without meeting with them and my family is a big factor in that as well so that would be the first step and then go to the association from there and figure out what their thoughts and feelings are.”

Mr Neilly was elected in the May 2012 general election with 1,781 votes, defeating the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) candidate at the time Clay Sweeting who secured 1,686 votes.