Friday, May 16, 2025
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham says he will support the Free National Movement’s (FNM) candidate in Killarney –– but declined to say whether he believes the party can win the seat without Dr Hubert Minnis.
“I’m a voter down there, and I’ll vote for the FNM,” he told reporters yesterday.
His comments came just days after he urged party supporters to unify and prepare diligently for the next general election.
Speaking during a memorial to former Senate President J Henry Bostwick at FNM headquarters, Mr Ingraham warned party members against assuming victory is guaranteed.
Asked yesterday about those remarks, he said: “I said what I meant and I meant what I said. I have nothing to add to it.”
FNM leader Michael Pintard said he welcomed the former leader’s comments, describing them as sound advice.
“All political organisations would have moments of trials and if we’re working in the best interest of the Bahamian people, we try to find a way to work across any differences because it’s not about us,” Mr Pintard said.
Tensions have intensified within the FNM since Dr Minnis was denied a candidacy for the next general election. Party insiders attribute the move to his refusal to support the current leadership and his absence from recent party meetings.
Dr Minnis called the party’s decision “deeply unfortunate”, accusing the leadership of selectively applying its constitution “for convenience or control”.
He argued that the decision undermined the party’s democratic integrity and raised concerns about its capacity to govern effectively.
Dr Minnis recently told Parliament he looks forward to continuing his representation of Killarney, leaving the possibility of an independent run open.
Asked if a replacement candidate has been selected, Mr Pintard said the party will update the public as decisions are made.
Comments
bahamianson says...
And there you have it, from the horse’s mouth. Regardless of how competent the candidate is, he will vote for the party. That is not the way to go, but , it is what it is. We vote party and not candidate!!
Posted 16 May 2025, 11:42 a.m. Suggest removal
bogart says...
DEMOCRACY......Democracy......Democracy......Democracy.
All the highly educated and experienced political leaders who serve as a privilege by the Bahamian people, should be first and foremost be informing the Bahamian people on the platform issues ----- of betterment of the concerns of the people, ----- the people's children and relatives, corruption, elitism, cronyism, laws and justice, unfair regressive VAT taxes, widening of the gap between the rich and the poor, the homeless of the streets, taxes on over the counter medications, their employment, their children's schooling, the high cost of living, the high crime rate, the continuous illegal drug trafficking, the continuous migration without following the laws, the climate change, etc etc etc etc etc .
Publictly advocating to the public to vote on only the 3 letter political party name is not right and is belittling the intelligence of the people. By now people have gone past the age of being in awe of glass beads and shiny trinkets.
It does not do any justice to the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas in furtherance of Democracy to just inform the voters of the Political Party without advertising and educating the voters of the Candidate and their platform and issues ----- instead to not allow the Voter to have a choice in making an educated voting choice of candidate.
Posted 16 May 2025, 12:11 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
Please the Fnm papa talking a lot. Is he the man who stop the youth program under Mr wisdom because it cost to much the question is how much does it cost to put young men in jail.examine the facts carefully and find the bad outweighed the good.
Posted 16 May 2025, 12:38 p.m. Suggest removal
whatsup says...
Minnis needs to drop out. He will divide the FMN votes in Killarney and the PLP will win that seat. No way in hell could I ever vote for Minnis after what he did for money during the Covid.
Posted 16 May 2025, 1:14 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
"Papa" Hubert's RedShirts'Movement's ' non-House elected' chairman, seems to have his own self-political future's interest 'game over' rules and procedures when it comes to the District of Shirlea's House-elected MP Adrian "White Boy" White aka the proud grandson of Sir Geoffrey Adams Dinwiddie Johnstone, KCMG (19 September 1927 – 4 August 2017) who was heself a Bahamian politician and lawyer. -- It's possible to be born with genetic predispositions that might suggest a longer lifespan, but still must cross-over the chairman's 'game over' rules and procedures. --- Yes?
Posted 16 May 2025, 3:15 p.m. Suggest removal
LastManStanding says...
> Mr Ingraham warned party members against assuming victory is guaranteed
Sure, good attitude to have, but statistically speaking it's unlikely the PLP win the next election. No incumbent government has been reelected since 1997(!) and a wave of dropouts/potential dropouts from the incumbent party is never a good sign going into an election. I don't think the people hate Davis the same way they hated Minnis or Christie, but I don't think there is much enthusiasm either. Don't think it will be a '17 or '21 fashion blowout but I doubt he will upset the decades old trend of incumbents losing either.
Posted 16 May 2025, 6:27 p.m. Suggest removal
pileit says...
personally I think if the FNM want to win Killarney, they need to field a new candidate. He was a mediocre representative at best, but he drew the votes because he was party leader.
Posted 16 May 2025, 7:40 p.m. Suggest removal
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