Politics is the art of the possible. Recent events and actions of members of the Free National Movement indicate clearly that some of the leaders and officers of that organization learned very little from past feuds which caused deep division in their ranks.
It is a party that was created not on its own philosophy, but out of jealousy and the quest by a few for control. Hence, the FNM had more leaders inside the House of Assembly and outside that chamber than any other political organization. While it has eroded the so-called “grassroots support” of the Progressive Liberal Party, only Hubert Ingraham, the former Prime Minister was successful in stabilizing the organization to be a well-oiled, well-ordered fighting force.
All through its history from its formation in 1971, the major issue near to a general election has been the selection of candidates to contest parliamentary seats for the party. Indeed, prior to the 1977 general elections, the party split in half over who should have been the candidate for the Long Island seat. The then leader, the late Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, wanted to give the nomination to the late Tennyson Wells, while others in the party wanted the former MP James (Jimmy) Knowles.
It went so far that negotiations took place between Wallace-Whitfield and now Sir Orville Turnquest on Yamacraw Beach.
They could not agree. That is how the Bahamian Democratic Party (BDP) came into being. That party became the Official Opposition in the Parliament as the FNM was unable to keep the troops together.
Way back then, the late Sir Geoffrey Johnstone in a conclave of the FNM told Wallace-Whitfield that the first job of the leader of any party is to keep the organization together.
Well, even the BDP could not stay together with Henry Bostwick as leader. From disagreement over leadership, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) emerged with the late Norman Solomon as leader. There was also an amalgamation with the BDP and the FNM coming together to form the Free National Democratic Movement (FNDM).
The FNM has been fraught with leadership squabbles for many years. A leadership election in 2001 wreaked havoc in the party which led to the firings of then Cabinet Ministers Pierre Dupuch and Algernon Allen, Lester Turnquest as a Parliamentary Secretary, the resignation of others and the dismissal of the late Roston Miller as a Senator. After giving up the leadership in 2001, Hubert Ingraham led a revolt to remove Tommy Turnquest as leader of the FNM (who won that leadership election) in preparation for the 2007 general elections. Again, Ingraham was successful at the polls, defeating the Perry Christie led PLP. Christie won again in 2012.
Then after assuming the leadership of the FNM after Ingraham was voted out as Prime Minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis was elected leader. He could not keep the parliamentary team together in the House of Assembly with the majority of his members registering a vote of no confidence and asked the Governor-General to replace him as Leader of the Official Opposition with Loretta Butler Turner.
While she led the team in the House, Dr. Minnis was able to retain the leadership of the party with the support of the Central Council. It was a dysfunctional situation, and Minnis decided to decline the re-nomination of Butler-Turner, the incumbent MP for Long Island.
When Minnis lost the government in 2021, he was replaced as Leader by Michael Pintard, the MP for Marco City. There was obviously bad blood between Minnis and Pintard as the former Prime Minister appointed Pintard to his cabinet but sought to wrest control of the party from Pintard in a recent leadership election. Pintard defeated him by a comfortable margin.
With the announcement last Sunday by Pintard that the party will not give Minnis a nomination for his Killarney constituency in the next general elections, a new war in waging in the FNM. Without taking the matter to the Council of the party and with Minnis maintaining significant support among FNMs and his constituents, Pintard is on the defensive to stand by his decision and to control an organization that has a long history of infighting over the question of leadership.
The words of Johnstone, the former leader of the United Bahamian Party is relevant today on the main function of the leader to keep the organization together.
The leadership skills of Pintard are now undergoing a stress test. His decision on the political future of Dr. Minnis, who empowered him as a former Prime Minister and who enabled him in the FNM opened a hornet’s nest of discontent in the organization at a crucial time.
This might be the biggest political gamble by Pintard to assert his control and authority as Leader. He must now decide if he is to hold, fold, walk away or to run.
Meanwhile members of the attentive public, including FNMs are saying: Here we go again.
