By MALCOLM STRACHAN

THE FNM has made its choice – Michael Pintard has been returned as the leader of the party. But is that the end of the in-fighting?

By rights, it should be. The atmosphere in the convention hall was strongly supportive of Mr Pintard – and if that wasn’t enough, the results were substantial enough that there should be no doubt of where the party support lies.

Mr Pintard secured 486 votes compared to his challenger, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who landed 163.

That gives Mr Pintard three-quarters of the votes of the party – 74.88 percent to be exact. If we were talking in general election terms, it would be a landslide in the House of Assembly.

More than that, Mr Pintard has had a catalogue of endorsements. Cabinet members who served under Dr Minnis, people that he handpicked to service in his government, even Kwasi Thompson who is a relative of his as well as someone that Dr Minnis encouraged in office, all lined up to say Mr Pintard was the man to take the party forward.

Romi Ferreira rolled up at the end to join a list of names such as Peter Turnquest, Pakesia Parker- Edgecombe, Darren Henfield, Dion Foulkes, Dionisio D’Aguilar, Marvin Dames, Elsworth Johnson and more to back Mr Pintard.

Members of the Rebel Seven, the seven MPs who staged a coup of sorts to put Loretta Butler-Turner in charge as leader of the Opposition instead of Dr Minnis before he became prime minister have voiced support for Mr Pintard. Whether that is healing a rift that has lingered in the FNM for years or making the most of an opportunity to say we told you so, that’s for them to say.

Strangely, third party leaders have also featured in this race. Former DNA leader Branville McCartney weighed in on Dr Minnis’ side, while his successor, Arinthia Komolafe and former DNA chairman Omar Smith opted for Mr Pintard. Cassius Stuart, who used to lead the Bahamas Democratic Movement, also piped up for Pintard – though I’m not sure who was waiting to hear that endorsement.

And then came Papa. Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham was effusive in his support for Mr Pintard, saying “we need to put the whole question of leadership of the party behind us” and declaring his backing for Mr Pintard, who he called “the right candidate”.

As for Dr Minnis, he said: “Because of me, he became the leader. Because of me, he became the prime minister. To a large extent, to a large extent because of me. His time is past. One and done.”

On the other side of the equation, Dr Minnis had the support of Desmond Bannister, Renward Wells, and seemingly Mark Humes. And that was about it.

Stack them up. The numbers of heavyweight FNMs. Look at the scales.

Now look at the voting numbers.

It’s clear, right? The party has chosen Pintard. So where’s the worry?

Well, for the party, it’s that Dr Minnis has shown little sign so far of pulling in the same direction – so will he do so in future?

Dr Minnis of course issued a concession statement after the results came in. Let’s look at it closely.

He said: “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Michael C Pintard on his victory and wish him well. I would also like to congratulate all of the other candidates who were successful today, wishing each of you all the very best.

“As I committed during my campaign, it is my intention to continue to support the Free National Movement, and to this end, let me clarify that there is no truth that I intend to resign as the Member of Parliament for Killarney. I will continue to serve as their representative in the House of Assembly.”

He went on to thank the delegates, his team, his wife, and so on, before adding: “I remain optimistic about what the future holds, and I plan to continue to be even more resolute in my commitment to serving the Bahamian people and keeping the Progressive Liberal Party government accountable.”

On the face of it, it’s magnanimous enough – although earlier in the day at the convention he was complaining about alleged fraud and intimidation in the election process - but what’s missing?

Well, Dr Minnis says he will continue to support the Free National Movement – he does not say that he will support Mr Pintard. All he does for Mr Pintard is to “wish him well”.

Here was an opportunity to pledge his full-throated support to the party leader, to say he will back him and lend his voice to the campaign to unseat the PLP from office... and he didn’t take it.

Now you might say that’s an oversight or I’m reading too much into a statement released just after a defeat, but it is significant – and if Dr Minnis does not indicate that kind of support in the near future, then there is every reason to believe that the infighting will not stop.

Dr Minnis is now a two-time loser. He was so confident that he would be re-elected and stay as prime minister that he called an election early and the electorate told him to carry himself smartly out of office.

He was insistent in his campaign to become leader that he would defeat Mr Pintard and now three-quarters of the party has told him no, sir.

If he genuinely thought he was going to win in both those cases, then he has either incredibly bad judgement or incredibly bad advice. And given the number of people who have hopped across to Mr Pintard’s side, I’m not sure who is left to be giving him that advice.

There appears to be no pathway for Dr Minnis to regain leadership any time soon – certainly not this side of an election. If the FNM were to lose badly at the next election, then per- haps, but Dr Minnis is no blushing youth and time would not be on his side by the time the following election came around.

It’s time for him to listen to the votes. The public said no, the party said no. His time is done. He can still serve with strength as an MP in the House – but no one is following him as leader any more.

It’s time for him to recognise that – and for the infighting to stop.

Mr Pintard meanwhile should not take this entirely as a clear victory parade. Despite all that long list of endorsements, despite real heavyweights backing him, despite the return to the fold of old faces... still a quarter of the party did not back him.

I hope the party recognises that 25 percent of the voting delegates still went for Dr Minnis despite all the public endorsements lined up for Mr Pintard.

The party should consider what that tells us about Mr Pintard – because soon enough it will be the public having its say.