Amidst all of the party infighting, Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis has offered an olive branch to Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner by once again offering her a nomination in that constituency.
The third night of the Free National Moveme’s (FNM) 2016 National Convention saw the emergence of two-time elected leader Dr. Hubert Minnis after weeks of party backbiting.
The Opposition Leader’s rivalry, Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner and her running mate Dr. Duane Sands announced their exit of the race during the early morning hours of the third night of the convention, after remarks made by party deputy Peter Turnquest.
“Each of these worthy leaders are qualified and possess the experience to help us rescue this nation and to contribute mightily to its future success,” he said.
“It is our hope that they will accept our offer to continue to be a valuable part of this leadership team. We have made significant offers to both to demonstrate our commitment to them and we earnestly hope they will accept.”
Mrs. Butler-Turner however was not present on the convention floor on the last night as it was revealed she was instead socializing with media in another room.
Dr. Minnis assured members of the FNM that once convention has passed, the party will emerge as a well oiled political machine that’s the strongest its ever been.
“Tomorrow we go forth into battle, nothing can stop us, we’ve got a country to save,” he said.
“We’re united, battle-ready, and unstoppable. Tonight, I call on all FNM’s, old or young, MCM or torchbearer, I invite all of you to appreciate the linkage of our FNM party from Sir Cecil, the founder of our party, to Ingraham, to Minnis. It is time to unite. We are one FNM. Divided we fall but together we stand.”
“It should not matter what your last name is or where you live. Our Bahamas must work for you. It does not matter if you’re a child of poverty or own a business or you’re a man or a woman; our country must be filled with boundless opportunities and realistic dreams. Our Bahamas must work for you.”
Dr. Minnis promised that under an FNM attacking crime at its root, declaring war on poverty and wiping out corruption in the government will be on the party’s agenda midst other things.
“ We will rid the government system of corruption and making it squeaky clean. When we wipe out the PLP, we will wipe out the PLP corrupt culture,” he said.
“We will implement term limits for Prime Ministers. We will implement a recall system for poorly performing MPs.”
“We will ensure that monies allocated to MP’s will be utilized for specific projects identified by their constituents. No more ducking MPs!”
“We’ll make the Public Disclosure Commission independent free from political oversight. We will tackle and conquer the hard vexing immigration problem. We will introduce land reform, aimed at making land ownership accessible to Bahamians.”
“We will strengthen Local Government, by allowing a percentage of locally-generated revenue remain in their respective districts. We will insure that all qualified Family Islands’ students, once qualified, are provided with scholarships for the University of The Bahamas, free accommodations, and a monthly stipend while in school.”
“We will reduce the cost of energy through our solarization program. We will create a society of meritocracy where individuals are promoted based on what they know, and not who they know.”
