By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard said his party’s membership and morale have significantly increased since Dr Hubert Minnis stepped down as leader.

“Without question, we had a number of persons who have returned home to the party,” he said yesterday during a guest appearance on Guardian Radio, Z Live: Off the Record with host Zhivargo Laing.

His comments came ahead of the FNM’s June 1 convention.

“The truth is our longest serving prime minister returned on multiple occasions to functions that we have had,” he said.

“He had not been in the headquarters for, I think he said, about nine years, and when he came, he brought in a portion of his ecosystem because when individuals are not engaged in the work of the party, it’s not confined to them but to those persons around them as well. So, he brought with him his sphere of influence.” 

Mr Pintard expressed confidence that he will maintain the party’s leadership, saying the Bahamian people have responded to the “difference in style of leadership”. 

“I’ve spoken to all 24 of the constituencies here in New Providence. Unless people are absolutely duplicitous, I firmly believe that we have the majority of the support of the Nassau associations in terms of 50 per cent plus one, and I am being very conservative.”

Mr Pintard noted that several former cabinet ministers have endorsed him.

Brensil Rolle, Pakeisa Parker-Edgecombe, Darren Henfield, Dion Foulkes, and Elsworth Johnson all told The Tribune on Wednesday that they support Mr Pintard. Peter Turnquest, Dr Duane Sands and Brent Symonette had previously endorsed Mr Pintard.

Asked by a caller what he would have done differently in the Minnis administration, he said: “One of the things that I would have done more of, I believe, is to collaborate with agencies and individuals that make the government load lighter and who themselves have resources that whatever the government’s spend is to be expanded and to reach far more people.

“Secondly, collaborative leadership was badly needed in the aftermath of Dorian. So to the extent that I would have been able to collaborate with members of the private sector, non-governmental organisations, former prime ministers who have sat in the chair and who themselves have a network of persons locally and internationally, resources that they could call on, guidance that they could provide, I would have been open to fittings on that.”