Gov’t Mid-Term Report Expected At FNM Convention

Mr. Ferguson revealed as much while appearing on the Love 97/JCN programme Jones and Company with host Wendall Jones.

Over 700 delegates from all over the country will crowd the resort on Wednesday as the convention commences under the theme "Tough times, Trusted Leadership."

The convention will end on November 7.

However, Mr. Ferguson admitted that Bahamians may not like what they hear when they tune into the event.

"We are in difficult times. Everyone in The Bahamas knows that. There is no need to bury your heads in the sands like the ostrich and pretend it is not there. Leaders should neither pretend nor try to blame any group or anybody for where we are," he said on Sunday.

"We have to acknowledge the fact that the world is in difficult times so we look at it for what its worth and say to the Bahamian people what it is. But with the type of leadership that the FNM has, we are capable and we believe with God’s help we will survive. So you can see this as a mid-term report for the nation to say to them what we would have done and discuss some of the pitfalls that we may have had and to show them the way forward."

He added that what the public can expect is "straightforward" facts.

"You give people the facts. Sometimes it is painful. Sometimes you don’t want to hear it but once you would have gotten the facts, you can digest it and after a while you would have known that you were told the truth. And so ministers will put their ministries to the Bahamian public and tell them where we are and they will point the way forward from those conditions," Mr. Ferguson said.

"With that I think you will see a balance in what ministers would have to say and at the end of the day The Bahamas will be better off understanding and knowing where we are and where we are headed and join us in that journey."

Mr. Ferguson said while the party intends on "rallying the troops" there will also be elections.

However, unlike the Progressive Liberal Party’s elections, neither the leader nor deputy leadership position is in contention.

Nevertheless, Mr. Ferguson is being challenged by Senator Anthony Musgrove and other positions are being heavily contested.

The FNM chairman said the party’s election would not be like the PLP’s.

"At the end of the day, we expect to have a team of workers, people who are going to be ready to come to the forefront and lend their support to this party and continue to build this party so that we remain the government for a long time to come," he said.

"Unlike The PLP, the nation wouldn’t be voting so it is almost a waste of time to say ‘hey Bahamas support me’ like some would have said a couple of weeks ago because at the end of the day only the delegates at the convention will vote. That is why some people lost and they felt it because they thought they had support in the nation, but there was no support on the convention floor. While we have a very high level of motivation in terms of persons who are running, it’s in the party."

The chairman also responded to PLP chairman Bradley Roberts’ fiery speech at the PLP 51st convention two weeks ago.

During that speech, Mr. Roberts said his sole mission was to "dismantle" the FNM.

Since then, Mr. Roberts has bashed the FNM on a number of national issues.

Mr. Ferguson said criticizing the opposition is not what the FNM is about.

"The FNM has never been about bashing. But it is difficult to have somebody bash you and you turn the other cheek. After you would have turned the other cheek, what’s next?"

However, Mr. Jones pointed out that the FNM has responded to all of Mr. Roberts’ criticisms.

The chairman said the FNM was just giving a timely response.

"What you have seen was rapid and timely response to statements and addresses that came out of the convention," Mr. Ferguson said. "We don’t go about bashing people. The FNM is about building a Bahamas for everybody. It’s the PLP that is stuck in that mode and think that this country belongs to them. Listen to Mr. Roberts, a 66-year-old man, comes on national television and said that he comes to put an end to the FNM. What a stupid statement. And you are trying to build a Bahamas?"

Mr. Ferguson said at the end of the day Bahamians must be interested in building the country.

"We are trying to have people qualify themselves. I think it is incumbent on all of us to get serious about building The Bahamas in the little corner where we live and encourage each other and stop tearing down each other," he said.