After Fort Charlotte Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Andre Rollins on Wednesday suggested that the “Rebels Seven” return to the Free National Movement (FNM), the party’s Chairman Sidney Collie said it is really not Dr. Rollins’ place to make such a suggestion.
“I think what he’s doing is political posturing,” Mr. Collie said.
Meanwhile, as far as Mr. Collie is concerned, the “rebels” are still a part of the FNM.
“None of the so called seven rebels as far as I am aware have left the FNM party,” the FNM chairman said.
“Secondly, none of them have been expelled from the FNM party. I am aware that there is a mechanism in place, and there has been a charge against them because of what they did with the letter to the governor general; and that’s a process that’s still pending. But until they physically leave the party or are expelled from the party, they are FNM members,” he said.
“Now they are not necessarily in good standing, and none of them have been ratified for any constituency,” Mr. Collie said.
“It may be a moot point to say they’re coming back,” he added.
With that said, Mr. Collie said in the event one of the seven decides to run independently against an FNM candidate, he or she automatically relinquishes membership.
“The constitution speaks very clearly to that. The only other way for them not to be members, is to be expelled, and none of them were expelled yet,” he said.
“Mr. Rollins has not given me a letter of resignation. He has not left, and he has not been expelled,” Mr. Collie said.
Last December the seven FNM MP’s wrote a letter to the governor general expressing that they had no confidence in FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis, in an effort to successfully oust him as leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly.
The FNM’s “seven rebels” include Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner, who has since said she will be running as an independent candidate; St. Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly, Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant and Central and South Abaco Eleuthera MP Edison Key.
South Abaco MP Edison Key has previously said he will not return to the FNM under the leadership of Dr. Minnis.
