FREE National Movement Chairman Carl Culmer has defended his party’s candidate selection process amid complaints the party’s leader is getting personally involved.

He was contacted after a high-ranking FNM council member complained to The Tribune – under the condition of anonymity – about Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis allegedly “cherry picking” in the candidate selection process, adding there is infighting about some incumbents being denied nominations.

“That is nonsense,” Mr Culmer said. “It’s quite obvious that person was not present at the last council meeting. The process is, every person who wants to run, their name goes before the vetting committee, who then makes recommendations to the executive committee and then that committee, which consists of party officers, executives selected by the party and some members of Parliament and some from the Senate, completes its work and sends it to council to vote for or against the recommendations.

“At the last meeting, candidate names came in from the vetting committee and the executive committee and all were approved by the council. The leader did not point towards any candidate. It seems like the person giving you this information has their own agenda. It’s not like how they are trying to make it seem.”

Mr Culmer’s comments came after East Grand Bahama MP Peter Turnquest, who is FNM deputy leader, told constituents in a note that he had “been advised by the party leader that I will not receive the nomination for East Grand Bahama.” Mr Turnquest said he assumes the party’s council “will give final confirmation or otherwise on that decision at its next sitting”.

“Peter Turnquest’s situation has not come through any of the committees as yet,” Mr Culmer said yesterday.

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