By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

AMID speculation that a senator has been selected as the FNM’s candidate for Killarney, several members of the party’s consituency association said they remain unbothered by the potential selection and will continue to back Dr Hubert Minnis.

Sources say Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis is expected to be selected as the FNM candidate. 

Mrs Barnett-Ellis declined to comment yesterday, while party chairman Dr Duane Sands neither confirmed nor denied the claim.

He told The Tribune the selection process is still underway and rejected allegations that the party leadership had ignored association members, calling it “nonsense”.

“We’ve met with them multiple times in person,” he said. “There has been written communication, and so we have followed a robust process to involve and engage the constituency association executive.”

Dr Sands explained that the process is outlined in the FNM’s constitution, which requires constituency associations’ executives to submit a list of acceptable candidates. The Candidate Selection Committee then reviews these recommendations and can accept or reject them before moving to the next step.

“The organisation, we’re mindful that people are disappointed but in that process it doesn’t mean they can dictate what is going to happen,” he said. “The ultimate deciding body of the Free National Movement is convention. Short of convention, it is the central council.”

“The executive committee, which forms the candidate selection committee, which is chaired by the leader, makes recommendations to the Central Council for ratification. That has not yet happened in Killarney.”

The controversy adds to ongoing tensions between the party’s leadership and several constituency branches. 

Mrs Barnett-Ellis is among the hopefuls for the Killarney nomination, along with entrepreneur Lincoln Deal and former FNM chairman Darron Cash.

The Tribune understands the political aspirants have already done interviews and presented themselves to the association during a recent branch meeting.

An association member noted that speculation about Mrs Barnett-Ellis’ potential nomination had circulated for some time. However, the member was doubtful that she, or anyone, would win against Dr Minnis.

“I can tell you that I’m not saying that she wouldn’t get one or two votes here,” the member said. “I’m not going to say that either but I can tell you the majority of the people will still be with Minnis. I don’t care who they put here. I don’t care who and when I tell you that I am serious with that.”

Another association executive claimed the branch was deliberately excluded from the process because of its support for Dr Minnis and suggested Mrs Barnett-Ellis may have been selected due to her father, former Court of Appeal president Sir Michael Barnett, and potential financial backing.

The Killarney constituency, long considered an FNM stronghold, is now positioned to be one of the most hotly contested battlegrounds in the country after party leader Michael Pintard confirmed in April that Dr Minnis would not be renominated.

Dr Minnis, however, has said he still intends to run, though it remains unclear whether he will do so as an independent candidate.

He remains a popular figure in the area, and his candidacy, outside the party’s endorsement, will prompt speculation about whether he could fracture the FNM’s base and split the vote.