The Executive Committee of the Free National Movement (FNM) held an emergency meeting last night "to consider among other things the recent press statement of four MPs in contravention of the views of the Executive [Committee] and Central Council of the party".

The Nassau Guardian understands that strong voices within the meeting called for the MPs to be expelled from the party, but no such decision was made. Last week, amid a firestorm sparked over controversial comments made by FNM Senator Lanisha Rolle, FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis called for party issues to be addressed internally. But several MPs have defied that call as it regards Rolle's comments.

This whole matter stems from Rolle calling into the Guardian Radio talk show "The Conversation" more than a week ago and blasting Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner and other MPs, whom she did not name specifically. She accused them of being jealous of Minnis and said they have been acting out of self interest. Rolle also said Butler-Turner could not beat Prime Minister Perry Christie if they go head to head in a general election.

After Minnis' appeal for FNMs to stop airing their dirty laundry in public, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant released a statement demanding a public apology from Rolle, who has remained silent amid that call. In a press statement on Sunday, several more MPs joined Grant in demanding an apology for Rolle's "unprovoked, extreme and unprofessional" attack.

Butler-Turner, St. Anne's MP Hubert Chipman, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn and North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly said,"If Senator Rolle refuses to publicly apologize, our leader, Dr. Hubert Minnis, should insist that she does and he should specifically repudiate her unprovoked attack on sitting FNM members of Parliament."

They said, "The remarks by the senator against her colleagues were unprofessional and unbecoming of someone in her position."

The Nassau Guardian understands that the five MPs demanding the public apology were not present at last night's emergency meeting. The Guardian also understands that the Executive Committee, made up of the most senior members of the party, agreed that there was no need for a public apology and the matter should be put to rest.

In a statement last night, the Executive Committee said, it "strongly and unanimously re-affirmed its mandate that party business should be dealt with internally".

The statement added, "The issues confronting our hard pressed nation and long suffering people are too serious for members of the opposition to be distracted. The national executive of the party also re-affirmed the authority of the organs of the Free National Movement, most particularly the Central Council, and counsels all members of the party to be guided hereby."

The decision to call an emergency meeting last night to discuss the MPs' "contravention" of the views of the Executive Committee came as public debate over the Rolle matter continued. On a broader scale, the issue has unmasked what party insiders and other political observers have noted are deep divisions within the opposition party. It follows months of tension between Minnis and certain FNM MPs.

Last week, South and Central Abaco MP Edison Key confirmed that he had been approached about a plan some MPs had to write the governor general and express a lack of confidence in Minnis as leader of the Official Opposition. Key said he did not support that effort. Minnis thwarted that move when he invited Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells and Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins to join the FNM. In the weeks that followed the former PLP MPs' decision to join the party, the FNM has remained challenged at portraying itself as a united force.

On Friday, Minnis confirmed that the party has agreed that a full convention will be held by November 30, 2016. The expectation is that he will be challenged for leader.

Following the call by the Executive Committee last night for the Rolle matter to be put to rest, and the decision that there will be no public apology, many people will be watching to see whether the five MPs who demanded the apology will remain quiet. The matter seemingly continues to strain relations between Minnis and those MPs at a time when the party is trying to ready itself for the approaching campaign season.

In an exclusive interview with The Nassau Guardian on Sunday, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham admitted he was disappointed by the infighting within the FNM.

"It is my hope that the FNM can get itself together and win the next election, and it is my hope that I would be in a position to give them whatever support I can in that regard," Ingraham said. "But certainly, I expect that the party will not have a selective process that seeks to remove certain people from consideration for whatever petty reasons there may be."

His last statement appeared to be a reference to the party's nomination process.

Last month, the FNM announced its first eight candidates for the next general election. However, no sitting MPs were among that list.

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