By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement chairman Dr Duane Sands yesterday staunchly defended his role in the party’s leadership, calling accusations that he interfered in the internal affairs of former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ constituency as nothing but an “unnecessary distraction.”

Dr Sands was contacted after he was accused by Dr Minnis of acting “unconstitutionally” over exercising his power as the party’s chairman.

Dr Minnis raised concerns about the issue in a letter dated June 27, 2022, which was leaked to the media.

In the letter, the Killarney MP said Dr Sands had interfered twice to cause delays to two scheduled association elections in his constituency “without just cause or even any reasonable explanation”.

Dr Minnis also alleged that “it is unheard of for the party, through the chairman, to directly interfere in the internal administration of a constituency association” since he, the elected MP, is in good standing with the party.

“I, as the MP for Killarney and the first named Member of Killarney Constituency association pursuant to Article 17 of the Constitution, regard this series of arbitrary acts of interference, and the proposed incursion into the constituency that I represent in Parliament, as hostile and needlessly divisive acts, which also happen to be unconstitutional,” according to the letter.

“I suggest that you kindly govern yourself accordingly, and permit the responsible deputy chairman and secretary general to perform their constitutional duties, without further unwarranted and unconstitutional interference by you.”

When contacted by The Tribune Dr Sands said it was his first time reading the letter, which he called unfortunate and an unnecessary distraction.

“The first time I saw the letter or any of its contents was on the post to Eyewitness News so I think we can assume that it was leaked by the person who penned the letter,” he said.

He also dismissed the claims that his actions were untoward, insisting he was only doing his job as outlined in the amended FNM constitution.

“It’s important for us to understand the roles of persons in any organisation,” Dr Sands said. “The role of the chairman of the Free National Movement is very clearly articulated in the recently revised constitution and I can assure you that I function with that as my guide.

“And that means as chairman, I am ultimately responsible for every election in the Free National Movement and it’s something that I take very seriously. Anyone who either seeks to represent the FNM or represents the FNM is a franchisee, okay.

“They are the standard bearers that have been ratified to be the standard bearer for the Free National Movement and as such, the party plays a pivotal role in every single association and organisation throughout the country.”

“That’s how it should have always been.”

Asked to respond to concerns that Dr Minnis’ letter showed there was disunity in the party, Dr Sands replied: “This is a very unfortunate distraction from the things that Bahamians find important and that FNM’s find important. The leadership of the Free National Movement is on a process of rebuilding the organisation and restoring public confidence and trust and the concept of a team is one that we take very very seriously, and I’ll just leave it at that.”

He added: “The country is currently challenged with ineffective and somewhat rudderless leadership right now and I think Bahamians already have a level of bias remorse so this distraction is both untimely and unfortunate and I can assure those persons who expect much from the FNM that we acknowledge this a little more than an unnecessary distraction.”

Dr Minnis yesterday denied that he leaked the letter to the media.

In last September’s election, the FNM suffered a crushing defeat, winning only seven seats, its worst performance since 1977 when it won only two seats.

Since the election, the party – under the leadership of Marco City MP Michael Pintard - has sought to become more unified and reconnect with their base who they believe felt abandoned by the previous Minnis administration.