EDITOR, The Tribune.

I would appreciate you allowing me the opportunity to respond to a letter written in your valuable newspaper on Thursday, January 14, 2014, under the caption “Call to arms for all true FNMs”, “I am also a former candidate in the Free National Movement (FNM), and currently sit in the General Council of the Free National Movement.

It has been a long-standing position of the FNM in its constitution that defeated candidates that ran in prior elections, would hold a position on council for one year.  They can continue on council, if they ran for a position of officer and win the position at the next party’s convention, or if they are appointed by the Leader of the party.  They would also qualify if a vacancy on the Executive became vacant and they were able to secure sufficient votes in council to fill the vacancy.

Of all the of the failed candidates for the FNM in 2012 election, I haven’t heard from one of them that came to the defence of the party’s current Leader, the Hon Dr Hubert Minnis, but rather have their gatherings and criticise the leader who won the leadership of the party in 2012 unopposed, and defeated the Hon Loretta Butler at convention in 2014 by a margin of almost three to one (3:1).

Maybe this letter writer, is of the view that their grouping is the only one that should be in charge of the party that would allow them to do whatever they feel like doing within the party structure, and anyone that should win positions outside of that group are traitors to them.  

For the record, I will provide the writer with a list of persons that made great sacrifice to stand for the party and they were literally driven, not only out of council, but out of the party.

Long-serving members that were elected members of various constituencies for the FNM that were forced out of the party, such as: Tennyson Wells, Algernon Allen, Pierre Dupuch, Peter Galanos, Anthony Miller, Floyd Watkins, James Miller. These names represent just a few of the people that this group literally ran out of the FNM.

The vitriol that is dispensed towards Mr Hubert Minnis is further indication that they would also prefer that he departs, so that they can retake ownership of the party

They are now concerned that because these persons no longer have rights to sit on the party’s council, they are being ostracised?

They always had the option of running for a position on the officer core, to avoid being told that they can no longer sit on council.  These persons choose not to do so.

I will state that the majority of these former candidates in the last election remain silent as the PLP has plundered the country, with many of their failed promises, and not to mention their wrong doings.

But it is typical of those persons that come forth to present themselves to the country as candidates. They come along for the ride under the banner of the party, and make little effort to work on behalf of the party to ensure that it could maintain good favour with the voters.

The term that is so loosely used, “True FNMs” by the writer, indicates that they truly believe that they are the only ones with entitlement to lead the party.

Are we to understand that only those persons that voted against Dr Minnis, are “True FNMs”?

Well those delegates who supported Dr Minnis are also “True FNMs” as a lot of those delegates have supported the party just as long and in some instances, longer than this dissenting group. I would add that there will always be dissenting views, and that is great for democracy.

However, because they cannot garner the majority of votes for their candidate, does not make any of us less FNMs.

We definitely need the support of all under the banner of FNM to stand together as we move towards another General Election, and we do hope the disappointment of not being able to attend Council will not deter them from participating and supporting the Party ongoing.

Everyone against Dr Minnis is calling for another convention, which is not due until November, 2016 as per the constitution which requires a Convention every two years.

However, the PLP’s constitution requires one annually, and they haven’t held one since 2009. This disappointed group should focus on bringing matters such as these to the Bahamian populace.

It is imperative that those dissenting FNMs, bury the hatchet and accept the result of the last convention, wherein Dr Hubert Minnis won overwhelmingly at the convention.

In closing, I would remind this group that there were many persons that challenged for an office during that convention, and were beaten badly, should all of those defeated candidates now be upset because they were not winners of their position of interest?

Thanking you in advance for allowing me the opportunity to add my two pence.

Most concerned Council Member

GEOFFREY B STUART, Esquire, JP

Nassau,

January 17, 2016.