Loretta Butler-Turner

LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner admitted yesterday that the Free National Movement is “not as strong as it should be so close to the next general election” but said she hopes an early convention can bring “unity”.

In an interview with The Tribune, Mrs. Butler-Turner said “thousands” of persons are depending on the FNM to take them out of the hands of a failing PLP government, but the party’s internal issues may be causing some persons to doubt the Official Opposition.

Going into the next convention, Mrs. Butler-Turner said she hopes members vote based on “what is good for the party” and not based on “personality”.

“The party, the FNM is not as strong as it should be less than a year out of the general election. All we are requesting is that Dr. Minnis as a good leader move the convention date up so that the party can heal, regroup and unify and be strong,” Mrs. Butler Turner said.

“No one is trying to get rid of Dr. Minnis - maybe Dr. Minnis may need a new mandate, maybe we need to regroup. We need to look at how we are going to make this party stronger. If Dr. Minnis goes into the convention and prevails then maybe he should surround himself with those who he feels can make him stronger because he hasn’t been able to unify the party thus far. At the last convention they said it was me. I ran, I lost and I moved out of the way but the party still hasn’t gotten to the point where we are gaining traction.”

Mrs. Butler-Turner said no one in the party is discussing challenging FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis for his post until he announces a new convention date.

At the party’s last convention in November 2014, Mrs. Butler-Turner was unsuccessful in her bid to unseat the Killarney MP.

Last week, The Tribune reported that the majority of the FNM’s parliamentary team threatened to petition Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling to have Dr. Minnis removed as leader of the Official Opposition unless an earlier convention was held.

This latest effort from the parliamentary team has the support of six of the opposition’s 10 MPs, The Tribune understands.

This includes St. Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn, North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant, Mrs. Butler-Turner and Dr. Andre Rollins.

Last year, it was reported that a group of FNM MPs had drafted a letter to the governor general to have Dr. Minnis removed, however that letter was never sent.

If such action were successful, Dr. Minnis would still remain leader of the FNM.

Earlier this year, the FNM announced it would hold a convention in November.

By Sancheska Brown, Tribune Staff Reporter

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