By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement (FNM) leader Michael Pintard said his predecessor, Dr Hubert Minnis, left behind debts that the party is still paying off, insisting that under his leadership, “we don’t plan to leave bills for anybody”.

During a meet and greet event at Breezes on Friday, Mr Pintard said his opponents were “crying for convention” and bad-mouthing his team about money matters.

“When I took this position in November 2021, the party had some legacy debts, some debts we met in place, and despite the other side’s conversation about who has the ability to raise money, we are paying their debts off right now,” he said.

“I want you to be clear, those who are talking money talks –– we just gon’ say it in a general way –– under my leadership, we are paying off their bills, and we don’t plan to leave bills for anybody else. We believe in shouldering our responsibility.”

Mr Pintard did not say how much the party owed when he assumed office, but an insider familiar with the matter told The Tribune that “hundreds of thousands” were owed.

“We are a different way than before,” Mr Pintard said.“Remember there was a time in the party when some folks wanted to challenge the leadership that I protected, and the leadership simply said, you want to join the fight, drop $100,000 on the table, and you could join.”

In 2016, under Dr Minnis’ tenure, leadership candidates for the FNM’s convention were required to pay $100k to host the event.

Mr Pintard said under his leadership, no one would be stopped from running because of their financial status.

“We didn’t ask anybody to drop money on the table,” he said. “Others were crying for convention. Oh, and look at God, they got it, and they’re still crying. Don’t cry. Man up and let’s do the thing.”

Mr Pintard called for unity during Friday’s event.

He urged FNM supporters to be cautious during this race, saying: “You don’t want to throw fatal blows because we will need those soldiers on June 2nd and beyond.”

“Be careful how you fight this fight. They are not the enemy even though they behave that way.”

Mr Pintard said although some party factions sued his team “not once but twice,” they are still family and must be embraced.

“Don’t engage in useless banter back in forth saying things that will injure, and it will take too long for people to heal so we can pull together, let’s just pull together,” he said. “In a short while, it will be over.”

Some members of the FNM’s Women’s Association recently took the party to court, claiming unfairness over the process for electing association leaders. Before that, FNM vice chairman Richard Johnson, a supporter of Dr Minnis, sued the party after he was banned from attending council meetings.