By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis was dismissive and seemingly indifferent yesterday when asked about recent disagreements between party executives and members of the Pinewood Constituency Association over the organisation’s decision to choose a candidate that was not largely supported by the association.

Radio talk show host Lincoln Bain received wide support and was approved by the constituency association as the standard bearer for Pinewood. However the party went against those wishes and made the executive decision to ratify community activist Reuben Rahming to run in the 2017 general election.

After he did not get the nomination, Mr Bain stood alongside some members of the constituency association and openly protested Mr Rahming’s ratification with florescent placards as the newly chosen standard bearer addressed a crowd of FNM supporters during the party’s candidate’s launch on Tuesday. The signs also lambasted the party leader.

Yesterday, when asked about this, Dr Minnis rejected their actions saying: “The FNM is a party of policies and protocol. We have chosen the candidate.”

Last Wednesday, FNM Chairman Sidney Collie admitted that Mr Bain did have the support of the constituency association. However he said the party could not offer him the nomination because he did not pass the vetting process.

Members of the association claimed that Dr Minnis repeatedly gave assurances that Mr Bain would receive the nod to represent the constituency. Mr Collie has said this is untrue as Mr Bain’s supporters, on several occasions, were made aware that Mr Bain would not be selected.

“Lincoln Bain applied for the nomination for Pinewood and he went through a process like all the other applicants,” Mr Collie told The Tribune. “It was a very thorough vetting process, which included a face-to-face interview with the search committee and followed by an investigation. Lincoln did not pass the test.

“And notwithstanding all of what Pinewood is saying, the Search Committee and the Candidates Committee and the Executive Committee did their due diligence and determined after giving Lincoln all the benefit of the doubt that they could not nominate him. It’s as simple as that.”

Former Cabinet minister Tennyson Wells told The Tribune last week that he believes Mr Bain is “bad news” for the FNM and insisted that the party did the right thing by refusing him the nomination for the Pinewood constituency.

Mr Bain has maintained that there was no explanation for the obvious snub. He said there were repeated assurances from Dr Minnis and there was “shock” when things did not go as promised.

However, he suggested that an incident involving former FNM Senator Lanisha Rolle might have had something to do with the party moving in a different direction.

Responding to the controversy, Mr Rahming on Tuesday night told The Tribune that he was not worried about the pushback because it is expected in a democratic process.

When asked whether he had met with the Pinewood Constituency Association before his ratification, Mr Rahming did not answer directly but said: “We did what we needed to do and the party is satisfied. The association is a part of the party.”

Pressed further on whether he needed the help of the association to run a successful campaign, he said: “Elections are about ‘yes’ or ‘no’; it is not about someone voting for someone. It is called majority win.”

Meanwhile, a representative from the association has said officials are refusing to work with Mr Rahming.