Former Free National Movement (FNM) candidate Cassius Stuart said he will be running for deputy leader in the party’s upcoming convention.

FNM MP-elect for Long Island, Loretta Butler Turner will also be running for the post on May 26.

“Our party needs a new face and needs new leadership,” he told the Bahama Journal on Friday. “It’s an exciting time for the party. We have been in opposition and we know what it is to come from the opposition back to the government.”

“We must build our party into a lean mean fighting machine. We have to restructure, regroup and we have to make our party attractive and dynamic. I made some statements in another paper that was taken out of context. I said our party has to be sexy to attract the young voters and female voters.”

Mr. Stuart said the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) was “far sexier” than the FNM in the last general election and that is why it pulled in the amount of votes that it did.

“My point is, moving forward we have to make this party sexy, attractive and dynamic,” he said.

“If people are not attracted to the FNM then they won’t be willing to join us. We made some critical errors and we need to learn from them. We have to move forward and we need new life. The heart and soul of the FNM must change and we need to have people feel once again that they are proud to be FNM.”

He said the FNM is a party for all Bahamians.

“Just like in 1992 when the FNM won the government, we have to put that excitement back into the people but we have to restructure and rebuild and part of that excitement lies in me and I believe I have what it takes to carry the party back to its glory,” he said.

Mr. Stuart joined the FNM last year after dismantling the Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) – a party he led for 12 years.

“The FNM is a great party and it doesn’t believe in the philosophy of waiting for the perfect time,” Mr. Stuart explained.

“It is a party of fairness. I have fought the fight. I have political scars, so it doesn’t matter whether you’ve been here for 40 years or for one year, once you’re FNM, you’re FNM. Everything that is entitled to one FNM goes across the board. When Hubert Ingraham came in he went straight for the leadership and led the party to victory. There is no such thing as waiting in line in this party. We have to use the younger leaders to push our party forward.”

The FNM’s convention is scheduled for Saturday at the Wyndham Nassau Resort in Cable Beach.