By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Chairman Carl Culmer has defended his party’s candidate selection process amid complaints the party’s leader is getting personally involved.

He was contacted after a high-ranking FNM council member complained to The Tribune – under the condition of anonymity – about Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis allegedly “cherry picking” in the candidate selection process, adding there is infighting about some incumbents being denied nominations.

“That is nonsense,” Mr Culmer said. “It’s quite obvious that person was not present at the last council meeting. The process is, every person who wants to run, their name goes before the vetting committee, who then makes recommendations to the executive committee and then that committee, which consists of party officers, executives selected by the party and some members of Parliament and some from the Senate, completes its work and sends it to council to vote for or against the recommendations.

“At the last meeting, candidate names came in from the vetting committee and the executive committee and all were approved by the council. The leader did not point towards any candidate. It seems like the person giving you this information has their own agenda. It’s not like how they are trying to make it seem.”

Mr Culmer’s comments came after East Grand Bahama MP Peter Turnquest, who is FNM deputy leader, told constituents in a note that he had “been advised by the party leader that I will not receive the nomination for East Grand Bahama.” Mr Turnquest said he assumes the party’s council “will give final confirmation or otherwise on that decision at its next sitting”.

“Peter Turnquest’s situation has not come through any of the committees as yet,” Mr Culmer said yesterday.

“We have not made any decisions on anything to do with him. I can’t say if Turnquest was premature in sending out the note to his constituency officers. Whatever conversation went on between Turnquest and the leader, we don’t know about it. I don’t know what was said. That never came to the executive or the vetting committee or the council.

“I can’t say if Turnquest and (Dr Duane) Sands will receive nominations from the party. I am only one person. As the chairman for the council, I will put the question to the floor and leave it to the members to vote up or down. I cannot try to decide or speculate on something.”

The revelation about Mr Turnquest comes a little over two months after his resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance when he was mentioned in a Supreme Court lawsuit relating to an alleged $27m fraud. He is not listed as a defendant in the matter, however, and has maintained his innocence.

There is also speculation that Elizabeth MP Dr Duane Sands, who resigned as health minister last year, will not get a nomination. Dr Sands has been critical of the Minnis administration since leaving his post, but was recently seen campaigning in FNM paraphernalia in his district.

The FNM council member who spoke with The Tribune suggested there is more drama going on behind the scenes.

“Right now we are in a serious state in the FNM,” the source said. “Constituency officers and members are fighting to have certain incumbents run. The leader has taken this on personally and is seriously taking away the party’s democracy. I’ve never seen our party like this before. He is cherry picking because of his personal feelings.

“He is trying to cut off certain incumbents before their names reach the council level for approval. The leader cannot and should not be making any ‘one man’ decisions as to who or who does not represent each constituency, especially when the constituency officers have made it clear either through a vote or verbally that person is who they want to run.”

The source claimed there are many constituency officials who have called and told the council members and Mr Culmer that they want certain incumbents to run and “no questions were asked and requests were met”.

However, the FNM source said Dr Minnis is picking out those “he does not like” and rejecting them from the fold.

“We are in a pathetic state,” the source continued. “We are looking down the barrel of election and the leader is playing petty politics, putting his hand in the jar and pulling out those he has personal vendettas against. It’s all about him as far as he is concerned. He is not putting our party first. The FNM is in serious trouble.”

On Sunday night, Dr Minnis released a statement saying the party will have a mix of new entrants and incumbents in the next election.

“Some people who ran in 2017 will not run in the next general election,” Dr Minnis said.

“The party is grateful for the service of all incumbents who are moving on. They have been instrumental in helping our administration advance policies to empower Bahamians.

“There will be much public speculation as decisions are made as to who will and who will not run. Out of respect and courtesy, our party will first privately inform those incumbents who will not be nominated again before we make public announcements.”