Party Leader hopeful Loretta Butler-Turner now has doubts about the sincerity of Free National Movement Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis’ calls for unity within the party.
Mrs. Butler-Turner’s remarks came after incumbent Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest gave a speech, which criticized her and others in the party.
“I think it’s not sincere at all. They talk about the country being sick. Certainly we have some healing to do. We have some repairing to do,” she said.
“It doesn’t appear that they really want healing.”
Towards the end of Mrs. Butler- Turner’s speech, persons in the crowd started chanting “Roc Wit Doc.”
The Long Island MP however continued with her speech for another five minutes. When asked how she felt about the chanting during her speech being read, Mrs. Butler-Turner said it shows where the party is currently.
“This is a very clear indication of the breakdown that our party has come to,” she said.
“I hate to say this, but this is the level of disrespect that has been shown over the past four years to anyone that has a dissenting voice.
“We are a party that is based on sound principles of democracy, accountability and transparency. That level of disrespect and then to be castigated by the deputy leader speaks to an even bigger lack of example.”
Mr. Turnquest, during his speech, took jabs at Mrs. Butler-Turner stating that she went over her time and it had to been paid for, also commenting on her actions in the past few days stating that she has not been respectful to the leader of the opposition.
Mr. Turnquest added that what Mrs. Butler-Turner is doing is not acceptable and how she has acted is not how a leader should act.
“The reality is this, they tried to pigeon hold me into a very small window because originally they did not want me to even speak,” she said.
“I spoke and yes we’ve read over in past conventions, there’s nothing wrong with that. It was not intentional but I had a speech and I had something to say.
“I wasn’t dancing, I wasn’t prancing I had a sober message for the Bahamian people and they needed to hear that message.
“This country is in crisis and its not gong to take a dancer or a prance. It’s going to take someone with a plan. I was giving the plan.”
Mrs. Butler-Turner expressed earlier this week that Dr. Minnis was not being fair during the convention, telling those on social media that the convention was being held in an undemocratic manner.
During the final night of the convention tonight, the leader of the FNM will emerge.