By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

and DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

CENTRAL Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis’s unexpected resignation from the Free National Movement — after anticipating he would not be renominated — has set the stage for a political showdown in a constituency long considered a safe FNM seat.

The move caught many by surprise, especially given Mr Lewis’s recent public appearances alongside FNM Leader Michael Pintard, which had suggested continued alignment with the party’s leadership.

Yet in the House of Assembly, Mr Lewis announced he was joining the Coalition of Independents — prompting some constituents to respond with a resounding “good riddance”.

 Marjorie Darville, a long-time Central Grand Bahama association member, said the FNM had been warned that renominating Mr Lewis would risk losing the seat.

 His comments echoed a party statement that read: “The constituency association recently wrote the party requesting that Mr Lewis not be renominated as the party’s standard bearer in the next election for reasons stated by them.”

The FNM also noted that its executive committee had questioned “certain actions” by Mr Lewis. The Tribune understands he angered party leadership after appearing at protests organised by Coalition of Independents leader Lincoln Bain and Richard Johnson, a former FNM vice-chairman who publicly clashed with party leadership and later sued them in court.

“We had good FNMs who said they would not vote PLP, but they were thinking of voting for COI because they did not want to vote for Iram,” said Mr Darville. “So since he moved to the COI, well those people will be coming back.”

FNM members in Central Grand Bahama said around 16 association members met with the party’s chairman and secretary general to make clear they wanted Mr Lewis replaced as a candidate.

Talmage Pinder, an Advisory Council Member in Grand Bahama, did not mince words about Mr Lewis’s performance.

“He was a lousy MP,” he claimed. “He was not in touch with the branch. He did his own thing and then we hear about it after he do it.”

In just two election cycles, Mr Lewis experienced a steep drop in voter support. He won 3,654 votes in 2017 — easily defeating his PLP rival — but that figure plummeted to 2,091 in 2021, a loss of more than 1,500 votes.

Mr Pinder suggested many FNMs stayed home rather than vote for him — though the 2021 general election also saw a broader wave against the FNM nationally.

FNM insiders consider Central Grand Bahama the party’s safest seat on the island, noting that former MP Neko Grant held it for multiple terms — a legacy now fueling intense interest and competition for the nomination.

For his part, Mr Lewis said his decision stemmed from a lack of support, a breakdown in trust, and concerns over the direction of the party as elections draw near.

He said he had witnessed troubling changes within the FNM, particularly a shift from the collaborative spirit that once defined its internal operations.

“From this day forward, I no longer remain where I’m tolerated, but where I believe I am appreciated,” he said.

His announcement sparked mixed reactions in the House of Assembly.

Some PLP MPs were seen quietly laughing, while others in the chamber audibly reacted with: “What?”

FNM MPs remained more restrained. St Anne’s MP Adrian White kept his head down, writing in a notebook, while deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright repeatedly glanced in Mr Lewis’s direction. Kwasi Thompson was spotted with his hand on his face, smiling at intervals.

Party leader Michael Pintard was not in the chamber then but arrived later.

PLP chairman Fred Mitchell said he wasn’t surprised by Mr Lewis’s departure, citing long-standing reports of unrest within the FNM. He added that Mr Lewis’s political future could include more shifts in party allegiance.

Outside the House of Assembly, scores of enthusiastic Coalition of Independents supporters gathered to celebrate what they described as a historic political move.

Mr Lewis’s departure from the FNM is notable not only for its timing but because it breaks a trend — no governing party member has severed ties with their caucus during this term. That starkly contrasts the previous two governing administrations, which saw high-profile defections.

The consequences of crossing the floor vary in Bahamian politics. Bamboo Town MP Tennyson Wells left the FNM and retained his seat as an independent in 2002 — only to lose his next bid to Branville McCartney, who later left the FNM himself to form the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and was defeated in 2012.

Mr Lewis insisted his decision wasn’t about political survival but about “building a better Bahamas”. He said he hoped that even those who disagreed with his defection would eventually support him once they understood his broader vision.