By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
JAMAICAN political consultants told the FNM’s weekend conclave that leader Michael Pintard was the least popular of the country’s three main party leaders and seen as the “most petty”, but that he was not solely to blame for the party’s crushing election defeat, pointing more to a campaign message that failed to resonate with voters, low visibility among candidates and the lack of a clear plan.
Mr Pintard ranked below Prime Minister Philip Davis and Coalition of Independents leader Lincoln Bain in polling presented in closed-door sessions by an independent group, reportedly linked to the Jamaica Labour Party, that interviewed Bahamian voters about the party, its leadership and its messaging, according to sources who attended the meeting and discussed it anonymously with The Tribune. The consultants told supporters the party has significant work to do to return to government.
The two-day conclave was the party’s first formal reckoning since it won only eight of 41 seats in the May general election.
Data presented showed Mr Pintard was an asset in Grand Bahama but weak in New Providence, where his support appeared lowest. The consultants stressed that the FNM would have to win New Providence to regain power.
They reportedly told supporters that whoever leads the party, significant work remains and the FNM “had serious challenges” to overcome.
Those who spoke to The Tribune said the main takeaway was that no saviour could fix the party single-handedly, and that changing its leader or public image alone would not change the outcome. They agreed the party needed someone who could unite its members and tackle its wider problems.
The consultants also examined the margins by which sitting FNM MPs won their seats. They said several constituencies, including Long Island, were on a “knife’s edge” and not secure.
The findings sparked heated debate at times. Long Island MP Dr Andre Rollins questioned the group’s methodology and data.
In audio recordings obtained by The Tribune, Dr Rollins asks why the consultants had not provided data explaining why voters backed the FNM, PLP or Coalition of Independents, including a breakdown of voter percentages.
“We are here to do a post-mortem. We’re not here to do a prospective analysis going forward. This is retrospective,” Dr Rollins said, as murmurs could be heard in the background. “We’re looking at what happened before and, quite frankly, sir, I am concerned at why you decided to de-emphasise certain things and emphasise certain things.”
Party insiders privately told The Tribune that some viewed his remarks as unnecessarily combative.
Dr Rollins also accused the consultants of overlooking the FNM’s slim margin in Grand Bahama.
“I don’t see any graphic of any data that showed the FNM only got less than 30 votes more than the PLP in all of Grand Bahama,” he said, “yet you’re saying now that our leader is an asset in Grand Bahama.
“The numbers declined election over election for the FNM in Grand Bahama. We are on a knife’s edge in Grand Bahama too. How do you use the word asset in that instance with no mention of the knife’s edge that we are in Grand Bahama?”
He said the party could not move forward if it were afraid of the truth and afraid to “discuss the many issues”. He stressed that he was not attacking the consultants, but asked whether they had been told to downplay or withhold any of their findings.
Official results show the FNM won 8,969 votes across Grand Bahama’s five constituencies, just 14 more than the PLP’s 8,955.
The Tribune understands that on Saturday night Dr Rollins told Mr Pintard during a heated exchange at Lumpy’s bar, where FNM youth were present, that he was considering challenging him for the leadership and did not want there to be “bad blood”. Some who witnessed the confrontation believed his remarks were inappropriate for the setting.
Dr Rollins could not be reached for comment yesterday. In September, he said he had made no decision to enter the race and still recognised Mr Pintard as leader.
Some who spoke to The Tribune said the conclave exposed the depth of the FNM’s problems but failed to set a clear path forward.
The party’s future leadership remains uncertain as it prepares for its next convention. Mr Pintard has said he would wait for the post-mortem before deciding his political future, but believes he is the best person to lead the party.
The Tribune understands deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright has yet to decide whether to contest the leadership. Interest has also reportedly grown in Freetown MP Lincoln Deal, a newcomer, with some members believing the party needs a fresh face as it seeks to rebrand.
Some FNM supporters have publicly backed the return of former leader Dr Hubert Minnis, who ran as an independent in May. During the conclave, The Tribune understands, Mr Pintard said he had no personal objection to Dr Minnis rejoining. However, he told supporters that Dr Minnis automatically forfeited his membership by running against the FNM, in breach of the party’s constitution. He said Dr Minnis would have to apply for membership and go through the established process, which requires approval from the executive committee and party council.
Meanwhile, FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands called the conclave “a good beginning”. He said the data identified key priorities, including retaining members and recruiting and re-engaging supporters.
“A party is only as strong as the people who feel at home in it,” he said in a statement.
Dr Sands called for a simpler, more effective message focused on practical solutions to the issues Bahamians face, saying the party had to adapt to a modern electorate. He said a post-mortem “is only as good” as the action taken on its findings, and that the FNM must rebuild from the ground up starting now, making room for disillusioned members, young Bahamians eager to contribute and former candidates ready to serve again.
He said an internal survey would continue at members’ request. He also said the council would soon announce a formal convention date and set up a secretariat to oversee preparations. The Tribune understands party officials are eyeing early February.
Dr Sands, who thanked what he described as a record number of supporters for attending, said: “Many organisations keep findings like these behind closed doors. We chose to hear them together because a party that cannot hear the truth about itself cannot ask the country to trust it.”