By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson has said there continues to be calls within the Free National Movement for an early convention.

However, he was reluctant to comment on whether he was of the view that party leader Dr Hubert Minnis should resign after he admitted he met with one of the criminals involved in an alleged murder plot allegedly orchestrated by Lyford Cay resident Peter Nygard.

“Many persons want an early convention, but people don’t realise that the final say will come from the Free National Movement’s Executive Council,” Mr Watson told The Tribune yesterday, as he revealed that meetings have taken place to discuss the party’s next move.

Asked if Dr Minnis should step down as leader, Mr Watson replied: “Everyone has to decide for themselves what they want.”

FNM insiders have told this newspaper that there have been several discussions to have Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest take the reins of the party until an early convention is held.

The timeline now being considered for a full convention where all positions will be open for challenge is May or June, according to trusted sources. In January, the embattled party leader announced through a press statement that the FNM’s Executive Committee recommended a full convention to be held no later than November 30.

The party last held a convention in November 2014. At that time, Dr Minnis was re-elected as leader after a landslide victory over Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner in the leadership contest.

Other party insiders have insisted that the FNM is in a “quandary” with the party reportedly split on whether to compel Dr Minnis to call an early convention or have him resign ahead of the event.

However, insiders insist that with the revelation that Dr Minnis met three times with Livingston “Toggie” Bullard, one of the men involved in the alleged murder for hire plot, there is immense pressure for the Killarney MP to step down as party leader. He continues to be criticised because he did not reveal until last week that he met with Bullard at his residence. Many FNMs believe he should have not been involved in the matter to any degree.

He admitted to The Tribune last week that he first met with Bullard in his west New Providence home where he was told to pass on a message to former Senator and FNM Chairman Michael Pintard that he was about to be “set up” by high-ranking members of the government. The “gang member”, who he said is his constituent, gave him fish on the other two occasions that they met. He was adamant that the two men never discussed Mr Nygard. The meetings occurred some time last year.

“Minnis doesn’t enjoy the support of the majority of the parliamentary team,” one insider said. “This whole ‘Toggie’ thing has blown the top off of every plan he had to retain the leadership of this party.”

Another source said: “One meeting and its attendees concluded that they think Dr Minnis should go and leave the party to fully get in gear for the election free of the distraction of what discussion took place between him and ‘Toggie’ at his house.

“Another group contends that they will go back to him and ask again and for the last time for an early convention. It is thought we could see an election as early as May or June.

“The overall feeling is that he should step down and the party would then be turned over to the care of Turnquest with the understanding of an early convention. That is what the rank and file want.

“If he won’t leave voluntarily, he will have to leave kicking and screaming. This party is in a quandary.”

Despite this controversy, there are still people who support the leader.

Maurice Moore, who is considered one of the FNM’s founding fathers, on Tuesday defended Dr Minnis as “an honest man”, saying he saw no reason for the Killarney MP to resign over his admission that he met with Bullard.

Mr Moore stressed that Dr Minnis “did nothing wrong” and had no involvement in the murder-for-hire allegations connected to Mr Nygard.

He was adamant that Dr Minnis should remain the party’s leader in the face of reported internal calls for him to step down over his handling of the matter.

Mr Moore said he does not see why anyone is upset.

“I don’t think the leader should resign. He is not involved,” Mr Moore told The Tribune on Tuesday.

“If someone calls him and said (a) trap is set for Pintard and he said ‘look this is what I have been told’, where is the harm in that?

“The leader didn’t have to say it, but I think he was very frank. He is honest and straightforward. He advised him (Mr Pintard) not to go, but he didn’t do anything beyond that,” Mr Moore said.

The murder-for-hire allegations were revealed after a lawsuit was filed against Mr Nygard on March 9.