By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

AS a Free National Movement conclave begins tonight, one former deputy prime minister says he hopes the Minnis administration's struggle to create job opportunities for Bahamians will top the agenda.

"Most people are concerned that the jobs are not coming as soon or as fast as they wish," said Frank Watson, a former Cabinet minister in the first two Ingraham administrations.

"That's the major complaint. Thank God for tourism, but that can only help so many people. The economy has been on the downside for the last five to six years and you have to put a lot of effort into getting work for the children who come out of schools looking for work."

According to the most recent job figures, the national unemployment rate stood at 10 percent in May, falling slightly from 10.1 percent in November 2017.

The FNM's conclave will assemble parliamentarians, council representatives, executives and party officers in what organisers hope to be a frank dialogue about the party's successes and failures after nearly 20 months in office.

As if to highlight the desire for frankness, participants will not be allowed to bring their cell phones to the sessions, which are closed to the media and general public, one party source told The Tribune.

In a ZNS report last night, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said he looks forward to the airing of concerns at the two-day conclave.

"We will regroup, reorganise ourselves and project ourselves even further," the prime minister said. "At the same time we'll look to see if there are any problems that we may face ourselves within the organisation that we are not vocalising.

This is the time to vocalise the problems. Let's resolve them now because we must get ready to move into the 2022 election and new governance again in 2022 to 2027."

For his part, Mr Watson said aside from job creation, a second major concern of his is that some parliamentarians have not been visible enough in their constituencies. "It's very important if they want to be returned to government that they develop a relationship with their constituents," Mr Watson said. "From what people tell me they are not very visible and I know a lot of people."

One issue the former DPM hopes consumes little oxygen at the meeting is the standing of four FNM MPs who have bucked their party on key issues in recent months - Centreville MP Reece Chipman, Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller, Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine and Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson.

"I suspect that will be on the agenda, but I don't know why they would want to deal with them just now," Mr Watson said.

The four "rebel" MPs broke with their party on two of the most divisive parliamentary issues of the year, the decision to raise value added tax to 12 percent and a decision to rent the Town Centre Mall, which is partly owned by Financial Services and Immigration Minister Brent Symonette, to temporarily house the General Post Office.