Loretta Butler-Turner speaks on Friday.
11.30pm: That brings an end to our live coverage of what has been a dramatic FNM convention - thanks for joining us. We'll keep you up to date with all the weekend news on tribune242.com and The Tribune will return to newsstands on Tuesday. Have a great weekend.
11.26pm: Dr. Minnis has left the stage as the FNM's three day convention draws to a close. Supporters are continuing to dance in the convention hall.
11.25pm: Dr. Minnis says “we will succeed. . . because we are Bahamians and that's what we do.”
“Change is coming,” he says, as he encourages supporters to register.
“Since Christie does not want to retire, we will retire him,” Dr. Minnis says as he finishes his speech.
11.20pm: Promising a “meritocracy”, Dr. Minnis says individuals will be promoted due to what they know not who they know.
He says his dream is to see all Bahamians attend the University of the Bahamas free of charge.
He asks all those in the convention hall to stand and give each other the sign of peace - to show all those watching “they are unified”.
11.10pm: He is now talking about a tough new anti-corruption system. He says “If I do wrong as Prime Minister, they will have the power to arrest me”.
11.00pm: Dr. Minnis pledges to bring a Freedom of Information Act. He also says he will change the living conditions of inner city residents.
The FNM leader's speech is considerably more solemn this evening.
10.55pm: The FNM leader says he intends to honour former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham's call for unity. He said they have a lot of “mess” to clean up.
10.50pm: Dr. Minnis tells those in attendance it will take a full team effort to clinch victory in the 2017 election.
Speaking about his leadership challenger, Loretta Butler-Turner, he says: “We have undergone a lot over the last few years with internal politics laid bare. It has not been pretty but they have maintained their integrity.”
He says they offer the olive branch to Loretta – who he is certain will be the Long Island candidate with his full support - and Dr. Sands.
Dr. Minnis says significant offers were made to both Loretta and Dr. Sands and he remains hopeful they will accept.
10.35pm: FNM leader Dr. Hubert Minnis is given a standing ovation as he takes to the stage. He says he didn't dance tonight after his wife told him that, until he learns to dance, he should sit down.
Dr. Minnis also recognises Dr. Duane Sands who is present at the convention in the absence of Loretta Butler-Tuner.
10.25pm: KB is now entertaining the crowd.
10.20pm: Senator Carl Bethel is now at the podium. He says the party has a challenge to get rid of the “worthless” PLP.
The government has a “history of scandal”, Mr. Bethel says.
He says there will be a full scale commission of inquiry into Baha Mar when the FNM takes office.
Mr. Bethel is now paying tribute to FNM leader Dr. Hubert Minnis and finishes his speech by saying “a party united can never be defeated”.
9.55pm: Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells is on stage. He says the Free National Movement has a vision to rip apart the chains of corruption. This new vision will create an environment of accountability and transparency.
9.45pm: FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis is now making a grand entrance into the hall. Those gathered in the room have all stood to their feet, some standing on chairs, celebrating his confirmed position as party leader. The crowd are chanting “Roc with Doc”.
9.40pm: Kay Forbes Smith, former Atlanta Consul General, is now addressing the FNM Convention. This destructiveness in the party must never rear its ugly head in the party again, she says.
9.20pm: Southern Shores candidate Frankie Campbell is now at the podium.
9.10pm: Prophetess Jasmine Turner from Grand Bahama tells the convention there is a lack of economic activity with key investments promised by the PLP have not materialised. She alleged that Grand Bahamians are being turned away from the Rand Memorial Hospital because there is a lack of beds and medication.
9.00pm: Mr. Foulkes asks the audience to turn to each other and say “I respect you” and “I forgive you, because you matter.”
8.50pm: Mr. Foulkes says with Dr. Minnis and Mr. Turnquest at the helm, the party have the best team for the next election.
Dr. Duane Sands has entered the convention hall to cheers from supporters.
Loretta Butler-Turner speaks at a press conference on Friday afternoon. Dr. Duane Sands looks on.
8.40pm: Astra Rolle Armbrister appeared to capture the audience's attention with her very personal speech. Secretary General and Golden Gates candidate Michael Foulkes is now on stage. He asks the crowd to cheer for Loretta Butler-Turner and Dr. Duane Sands and says “we are one FNM”.
8.35pm: Dr. Duane Sands, who was originally scheduled to speak tonight, will no longer do so. Torchbearer Astra Rolle Armbrister is now on the stage.
8.30pm: The results of today's convention voting are being announced by Sterling Quant. Cheers for the announcement of Dr. Hubert Minnis, Peter Turnquest and Sidney Collie as party leader, deputy and chairman respectively.
There are still some empty seats at the venue.
8.15pm: Session chair Gadville McDonald, the party's Rum Cay and San Salvador candidate has called the session to order. He said tonight signals a new era for the party – one of unity to defeat the “morally corrupt PLP government”.
Those gathered in the convention centre have joined hands and are singing "Bind us together" in an act of unity.
8.00pm: This video shows the warm-up session for the third night of the convention as the hall begins to fill up.
6.15pm: After withdrawing from the leadership race, Loretta Butler-Tuner says she has no plans to leave the FNM. She said she dropped out because of irregularities in the process and deep structural issues. The final straw, she said, was Peter Turnquest's rebuke of her.
5.30pm: This statement was released by the office of Richard Lightbourn this afternoon, with regards to his comments last night that drew fierce criticism.
“I would like to sincerely apologize to the Bahamian public and women in particular for my comments made last night at the Free National Movement convention.
“It was never my intention to offend anyone but to speak to the need for effective parenting and the support for a strong family structure which will go a long way toward solving many of our country’s social ills.
“It is a woman’s right to decide what to do with her body.“I received immediate and justified criticism for my comments. It was an extremely poor decision on my part.
“My comments in no way shape or form reflect the position of the FNM.”
1.35pm: Speaking this afternoon, Dr. Duane Sands said: “The report is true, we will speak on what happened later, we communicated that we dropped out of the race last night.”
Both Dr. Sands and Loretta Butler-Turner have left the convention.
1.30pm: Loretta Butler-Turner and Duane Sands have confirmed they have dropped out of the leadership race, but they have refused to comment on the meeting they had with Dr. Minnis.
1pm: Voting for positions at the FNM Convention has been extended to 2pm.
12.15pm: Loretta Butler-Turner is in talks with Dr. Hubert Minnis, a well placed FNM source has told The Tribune. They are "coming up with the best solution for the Bahamian people".
11.10am: As rumours swirl around the convention, Dr. Duane Sands is meeting now with Dr. Hubert Minnis.
10.30am: Loretta Butler-Turner arrived at the Convention on Friday amid unconfirmed reports that she and Dr. Duane Sands had pulled out of the leadership contest following last night’s chaotic scenes.
As she emerged from her car she was overheard telling her supporters that she “will not let the other camp win” and that “criminals will not hijack the election”.
Mrs. Butler-Turner, who is contesting the leadership position with Dr. Hubert Minnis with voting this morning and the result to be announced tonight, also said “the Bahamas is bigger than all these people. Y’all saw what they did. Minnis and Turnquest designed this to destroy me giving a speech last night."
Peter Turnquest faces Dr. Sands in the contest for the deputy leadership.
Mrs. Butler-turner is expected to hold a press conference later this morning.
FNM Chairman Sidney Collie said he was not authorised to make any statements and refused to take questions at the morning press conference.
10am: Three female government ministers have reacted with fury after Richard Lightbourn proposed at the Free National Movement Convention on Thursday night that unwed mothers with more than two children should have their "tubes tied" in an effort to curtail the country’s social ills, describing it as a “shocking and despicable” violation of women's reproductive rights.
10am: Welcome to our live coverage of Day Three of the FNM Convention.
Delegates are voting in the much anticipated leadership poll between party leader Dr. Hubert Minnis and Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner. The polls close at 1pm.
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