After one week of being chastised, by friend and foe, for saying Dr. Hubert Minnis might pose a viable challenge for leadership at the upcoming FNM convention, I feel SAD.
Those who follow this column know that I have no faith in former prime minister Minnis’ leadership of anything. However, his overt confidence regarding the win, the same coming from his close followers and lastly my friend Bran McCartney joining up with him, garnered speculation of him having something almost fool-proof up his sleeve.
Roughly over a week ago, the Free National Movement’s chairman, Dr. Duane Sands, announced the party’s one-day convention to take place on June 1, 2024 and sent the tongues of political pundits wagging. Some feel the moment to send Minnis packing is just a little under a month away, while others feel Minnis has a chance to drive home a win. Whatever the thought, last week was telling for the Minnis campaign.
The election for the FNM’s Women’s Association was so spicy, those running on Team Minnis got a severe case of heartburn when they were sent packing. All, and I do mean all, of those on Team Pintard won the positions they offered themselves for – a full landslide victory. That was Thursday night and a possible indication of a predicted, solid “cut hip” to come.
Friday closed out nominations for FNM Convention 2024 with both Minnis and incumbent Michael Pintard, nominating for the title of party leader within one hour of each other. ZNS had LIVE coverage of the FNM’s leadership nominations and I watched Minnis arrive with his wife, and a “breezy” group, to include his co-chief follower, Pam Miller. Minnis explained away his “breezy” group of followers by saying he told most of them to stay home. I’m sorry Minnis, I don’t believe that.
MINNIS’ “BREEZY” CROWD
Minnis, after nominating, addressed the press and his “breezy” group with a slew of promises and talks of “unfinished business” dating back to his reign as the “Competent Authority”. Some of it sounded good, mind you, however we all heard the faint sound of thunder in the distance. That thunder got louder and after investigation, our cameras revealed it to be the arrival of Pintard with a throng of his supporters, closing off Mackey Street to greet him.
There was absolutely no “breeze” anywhere to be felt, “seen” or heard. Pintard, the lyricist, came out of his assigned car, spoke to the press, nominated, addressed the shoulder-to-shoulder mass that filled up his party’s headquarters and was on his way.
While others were caught up with the noise of the people who accompanied Pintard, I was busy checking the faces of those people. I saw Brent Symonette, who for the most part represents the money of that party. I saw Dwight Sawyer, the collector of money for that party. I saw Michela Barnett-Ellis, Darren Henfield and Ruben Rahming who represent the Senate. I saw Rev. Gregory Minnis, the blood cousin of Dr. Hubert Minnis. I saw K. Peter Turnquest, a former Deputy Prime Minister, fired by Minnis. His face seemingly beamed with the satisfaction of knowing what is to come.
Pintard’s supporters were a far more quality group of people who can actually vote in a convention and who are credible enough to influence others to vote him in as leader.
PINTARD AND HIS SUPPORTERS ON NOMINATION DAY
Now after all the fanfare and hullabaloo settles, the numbers are all that matters. Who gets the most numbers is the winner. And, there is a little under one month left for Minnis and Pintard to convince party supporters to join their numbers. There are roughly about 700 people who will vote on June 1, and the streets are screaming that the majority of them want Pintard to continue to lead the party.
I’m still curious though, what makes Minnis so confident. With all the odds stacked up against him, why would a man who is hated by too many to ever count and considered the worst prime minister The Bahamas ever had, feel he can convince the citizens of this country to put him back in office.
What makes the man, and his supporters, so confident of the June 1 win? Could it be that he plans on flooding the place with tons of money to convince low end supporters with little to no integrity to vote for him? Or is he insanely delusional and is so full of himself that he has forgotten what he did to those he hurt, stepped on, mistreated, spoke poorly to, crushed and cut off? Those people have not forgotten and many of them are voting FNMs. I truly feel SAD for Minnis.
Minnis says he wants to finish up some really good plans (yes I was listening) that he didn’t get to complete while he was prime minister. He says he wants to become FNM leader and ultimately beat the PLP at the polls and become PM again to complete those plans. What behooves me is that Minnis had the time to complete these good plans while in office, however, he chose to call an early election, giving the voting masses an opportunity to show him what they really felt about him.
Is Dr. Minnis delusional or does he have a trick up his sleeve? And, the governing party greeting him in the House of Assembly with a round of applause last week, didn’t make it any better. Minnis seemed convinced the members were being sincere when they shouted references to him being the next FNM leader. Those were shouts of sarcasm coming from a political party that hopes Minnis wins FNM leadership so they can beat the pants off of him at the polls.
I’m still bewildered as to what propels Minnis’ confidence. I hope it’s not family and friends encouraging delusions of grandeur.
After the Thursday night slaughter of his Women’s Association team, I made a wager with a close friend that Minnis would be a no-show at the FNM headquarters on Friday. I thought he would forgo the nomination and run for the hills from embarrassment. I was totally slack-jawed when I saw Minnis arrive with his wife and “breezy” crew to nominate with that strange look of confidence on his face. For Minnis, I felt SAD.
Pintard and his team seem all set to win the party’s elections. Unless Minnis does in fact have a trick up his sleeve, he will have an extreme uphill battle to be even remotely relevant in this race to leadership.
If Minnis loses, I feel the dust will never settle in the FNM. He and his supporters will continue to lurk in the shadows and spew all manner of mischief in that party. The story of, “If I’m not winning, I’m taking all the marbles and going home” comes to mind here – If you know what I mean.
Pintard would have to put his political foot down and not ratify Minnis to run in Killarney in 2026, thus ending Minnis‘ political career. Otherwise, he would risk political demolition of the party formed by the Dissident Eight in 1971 and the party led to historic victory by Hubert Ingraham in 1992. Well that’s how I see it, anyway.
“AS I SEE IT” DISCLAIMER – The views and opinions represented in this column, “As I See It” belong to the columnist and do not necessarily represent those of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas. The views and opinions expressed in the column are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. This column is for informational purposes only.
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