By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER FNM deputy chairman Michael Turnquest has backed Hubert Ingraham’s call for the party to “find someone who could win”, saying the next leader may have to come from outside the Opposition benches if the FNM is to break with the status quo and reconnect with voters.

Mr Turnquest said changing the leader could not simply mean replacing one familiar figure with another from the same political bench.

“It must mean a genuine break,” he said, “someone who can unify old and new FNMs, speak to the frustrated voter who stayed home, and make the case for why this party deserves another chance to govern.” His intervention adds to a widening debate over the FNM’s direction, leadership and structure following its defeat in the May election.

That debate intensified earlier this month after former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham told party supporters that the FNM needed leadership capable of inspiring people rather than trying to force loyalty and urged members to “find someone who could win.”

Mr Ingraham pointed to former FNM leaders Sir Kendal Isaacs and Cecil Whitfield, saying both were good men who recognised when they could no longer carry the party to victory.

FNM leader Michael Pintard pushed back, saying he believed Mr Ingraham chose the wrong setting to raise questions about the party’s leadership.

Mr Pintard acknowledged the party needed a leader capable of winning, but maintained that he remained the best person for the job.

Mr Turnquest said the public exchange between the former and current leaders showed the depth of the party’s present difficulties.

He argued that none of the sitting Opposition MPs had yet demonstrated an ability to unite the FNM, re-energise its base and attract broader support from Bahamian voters.

“Pintard's continued claim to leadership is not a show of strength,” Mr Turnquest said. “It is the very definition of leadership by default.”

“He remains not because he has proven he can win,” he said, “but because no one else on the opposition bench has stepped forward with a compelling alternative.”

Mr Turnquest also criticised the FNM’s past approach to choosing leaders, pointing to the rise and fall of figures including Tommy Turnquest and Dr Hubert Minnis.

He argued that handpicking or anointing leaders, whether by the party establishment or with Mr Ingraham’s backing, had repeatedly failed to guarantee sustained electoral success.

“With the greatest respect to Mr Ingraham's legacy,” Mr Turnquest said, “even his hand in choosing successors has not delivered the FNM sustained victory.”

He said the point was not intended as criticism of the former prime minister, but as recognition that the next leader would have to establish their own credentials.

“The next FNM leader must rise on their own merit,” he said, “their own vision, and their own ability to connect with the Bahamian people.”

Mr Turnquest said the person capable of doing that may not currently sit on the Opposition benches.

He urged the party to consider every option, including looking across the floor, outside the present political structure or to someone who could better connect with voters.

“The FNM has the history,” Mr Turnquest said. “It needs to find the future.”

“And this time,” he said, “that future must be chosen not inherited.”

His comments contrast with the view of some senior FNMs who believe the party’s post-election assessment should take place internally rather than in public.

Former FNM chairman and Senator Darron Cash told The Tribune that while Mr Pintard should be held accountable for the party’s defeat, his performance as Opposition leader also had to be considered.

“To whatever degree Mr Pintard is held accountable for the loss,” Mr Cash said, “he ought to be equally rewarded for the significant strides made during the time he was leader of the opposition.”

“There are pros and cons,” he said, “but that should be an internal discussion.”

Former FNM Cabinet minister Brent Symonette has described the debate over the party’s future leadership as “a moot point”, saying Mr Pintard remains leader until the next convention.

Speculation about a future leadership contest has nevertheless continued since the election.

FNM deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright, the former St Barnabas MP, and East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson are being watched as possible contenders.

The Tribune also understands that interest has grown around Long Island MP Dr Andre Rollins following his forceful contributions in the House of Assembly.

None has publicly declared an intention to seek the leadership.