Wednesday, December 14, 2016
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Deputy Chief Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Free National Movement MP Pierre Dupuch was adamant yesterday that the actions of the “rebel seven” MPs has done nothing more than hand the next general election to the Progressive Liberal Party on a “silver platter”.
Mr Dupuch raised questions of the end result of their revolt against FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, saying now was not the time to cause a disruption within the party as an election approaches.
He further suggested that the MPs ousting of Dr Minnis as leader of the Official Opposition could have been based on the vested interests of factions in the country who do not want to see the FNM ascend to office.
Pointing to Dr Minnis’ repeated pledge to do away with corruption, Mr Dupuch said this was reason enough for the FNM under the leadership of the Killarney MP to be less favourable in the eyes of some people.
“I think what they did was something very, very bad,” Mr Dupuch told The Tribune yesterday when he was contacted.
“I don’t know what the end result will be. They had a right to do what they did, but what did they accomplish?
“If nothing was accomplished then why did they do it? With an election right around the corner this is not the time to cause a disruption in the party.
“With all that has led up to this point, I believe Loretta Butler-Turner will never regress until she is the leader of the party. I don’t understand why the six withdrew confidence in Dr Minnis because most of them had already said they weren’t running again.
“There is a possibility that they want to guarantee that the PLP wins. This is because Dr Minnis has said he will investigate and prosecute and that will make many people nervous. The PLP has always been friendlier with these kinds of things.”
He added: “So some people might have some vested interests and want to ensure that a more friendly government stays in power.
“Also a foreign government is taking over the economy in this country and making us a colony,” he said, referring to concerns by some of growing Chinese investment in the country.
“I don’t think that Dr Minnis would allow that to continue on. From the looks of things the FNM was well on its way to winning or I should I say the PLP was well on its way to losing, but given what those set did, the PLP was handed the election on a silver platter.”
Turning his focus to Mrs Butler-Turner’s selection of Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney as leader of Opposition business in the Senate, Mr Dupuch said he found this “fishy”.
“Branville joining the Senate on her appointment what does he accomplish? She can’t promise him anything because she has nothing to promise. She is not the leader of the FNM. Dr Minnis is the party leader. He has control.
“While I believe in a coalition, she can’t give him anything. It all seems fishy to me.”
Mrs Butler-Turner, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant, St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn, North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly, Central and South Abaco MP Edison Key and Ft Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins each signed a letter of no confidence last Wednesday in Dr Minnis as the leader of the Official Opposition. The letter was submitted to House Speaker Dr Kendal Major and Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling. The group also voted to be led by Mrs Butler-Turner in the House of Assembly.
Comments
theplpsucks says...
Nobody cares what Dupuch says. He should play with his grand children. He left the FNM a long time ago what does he care?
Posted 14 December 2016, 3 p.m. Suggest removal
EasternGate says...
Right on
Posted 14 December 2016, 7:20 p.m. Suggest removal
DDK says...
Have you no respect for anybody pip? Well stated Mr. Dupuch!
Posted 15 December 2016, 1:49 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
Come on Mr: Dupuch the only claim to fame that "roc with doc" has is he will do away with
corruption. He will do well to start with himself. and you could not resist your need to throw
low blows at the PLP.
Chinese Investments in the Bahamas is a result of Mr: izmirlian borrowing money from the
Chinese. Would you prefer that the hotels remain vacant and Bahamians remain unemployed.
Chinese have investments all over the world. Why is it so bad for the Bahamas.
And you sir did you have a buyer in mind?
Posted 14 December 2016, 3:18 p.m. Suggest removal
Economist says...
Minnis has done NOTHING as Leader of the Opposition so why do you think he will do anything if he were Prime Minister?
Dupuch another old "has been".
Posted 14 December 2016, 3:38 p.m. Suggest removal
licks2 says...
But I thought that Grant was leader of FNM Business in the HOA, Chipman for Accounts Committee and Lightbourne for the other heavy committee. . .and who did not do anything now? The people are asking questions fella. . .
Posted 14 December 2016, 3:57 p.m. Suggest removal
PastorTroy says...
Seriously, some of these DINOSAURS need to start their journey through the 'Pearly Gates'.
Posted 14 December 2016, 5:02 p.m. Suggest removal
Well_mudda_take_sic says...
Couldn't agree with you more. Will someone please remind this very old political dinosaur that he became extinct many moons ago!
Posted 14 December 2016, 5:49 p.m. Suggest removal
EasternGate says...
Agreed
Posted 14 December 2016, 7:21 p.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
This "coup move" was best for the FNM .......... now that the FNM has shed all of the dead weight ........ Hubert Ingraham and Bran and now LBT ......... come up with a nice slogan like this is the "new FNM" and push all of the dynamic new visionary candidates that they have signed up and go out and win Election 2017 .......... no big deal ...... Long Island is definitely ready to move on with the "new FNM" ............. (LOL)
Posted 14 December 2016, 6:07 p.m. Suggest removal
Economist says...
The only reson tat this has occured is that a group of very old men (Wells, CA, Moore, Thompson and Dupuch with some of the original fossols of the FNM) have hijacked the party. They have resisted, as much as they could, having young council members and, by and large, have kept the old and decrepit as a large majority of the Council.
If they had allowed and encouraged a younger council we would not be in a situation where half the FNM's traditional voters want nothing to do with the FNM.
I keep running into people who either are not going to vote or will vote DNA again to protest the FNM.
Some have said that if Sears were to win the PLP leadership they would consider voting for the PLP before they vote FNM.
Posted 14 December 2016, 7:24 p.m. Suggest removal
Alex_Charles says...
you know people seem to not understand how democracy works at all. Hijacked a party? This may be similar to the Tea party gt a foothold in the GOP making them go far right on the political spectrum. It's not some diabolical scheme, it's fucking democracy. You want to change something? Then rally your people around a candidate/s or issue and vote for that cause, Which evidently they may have done which has many of you so butthurt. If you find the conventions of a party's constitution unfavorable and you lose 3 times to change it, what do you do? If you can't rally enough support for you/your candidate then you/your candidate should join another flipping party or start one. This extreme salt from LBT supporters is hilarious.
You don't need the FNM to win an election, people are tired of that foolishness. Let these dinosaur parties die if they refuse to adapt and move the country forward. Most Bahamians don't give a crap about these party struggles, we just want an effective government that can reverse the course we are on! Break tradition and move forward.
Posted 14 December 2016, 9:55 p.m. Suggest removal
gangof4 says...
You know, you talk far too much sense for this forum.
I couldn't agree more.
Posted 15 December 2016, 10:24 a.m. Suggest removal
Economist says...
I suspect you will be seeing a new party.
Posted 14 December 2016, 10:48 p.m. Suggest removal
athlete12 says...
Who is this dude? If the PLP still wins the election then the Bahamian people are to plain point blank. The DNA and FNM with LBT seem to being making genuine efforts to putting the people first instead of blind party loyalties.
Posted 15 December 2016, 9:54 a.m. Suggest removal
Rhetoric says...
All those seven rebels did was weaken a country
They should be ashamed
Posted 15 December 2016, 10:01 a.m. Suggest removal
proudloudandfnm says...
Still see no reason to register....
Posted 15 December 2016, 10:40 a.m. Suggest removal
The_Oracle says...
If anything they have purged the party of the old that have been "part of the problem" candidates, and cleared the way for new fresh and maybe not so entrenched candidates!
Perhaps if there was leadership who will follow thru on the oft repeated Crime, economy, corruption platforms and follow thru, intelligent decent Bahamians may step forward.
How many parties do we need to promise the above problems will be solved but only and deliver themselves to wealth do we need?
As it stands what self respecting decent person would want to be in the same room with any of them, never mind sacrifice their own self respect to run with them?
They also took out the DNA as a viable contender too!
After all, the FNM birthed from the PLP, the DNA birthed from the FNM,
And Sorry Birdie, the "Old FNM" got us in bed with the Chinese with loans long before Baha Mar.
Started with throwing out the Taiwanese Embassy.
Posted 15 December 2016, 1:19 p.m. Suggest removal
Log in to comment