NASSAU| A senior Free National Movement figure has acknowledged that the party is heading into the next general election facing an “uphill fight”, a striking admission that underscores the challenges confronting the opposition as it tries to regain power.
Dame Janet Bostwick, one of the FNM’s best-known veteran voices, offered a candid assessment of the party’s position in a short interview for Eyewitness News, making clear that while she believes the FNM can remain competitive, it is far from entering the 2026 race from a position of strength.
“I think it is an uphill fight,” Bostwick said, a comment that reflects concern inside the party.
Her remarks are especially notable given her long history with the FNM. Bostwick represented the Yamacraw seat in Parliament from 1982 until her defeat in 2002 and has remained one of the party’s most loyal and respected senior figures.
But even as she tried to project confidence, Bostwick’s comments pointed to a party still struggling with internal fractures and uncertainty over its true political standing.
Asked whether the FNM is united, Bostwick did not present the picture of a fully cohesive party.
“Majority of the members are,” she said. “I think there is a small percentage which have decided to go outside the party. And that is not good. It’s always better that you have unity.”
That admission will likely deepen concerns among observers who already see the FNM as weakened by internal division. As Bahamas Latest has reported in the past, FNM struggles with divisions since the beginning of the elections cycle. While Bostwick insisted the party still has “a force which can be effective”, her acknowledgment that unity is lacking reinforces the perception of a party still trying to stabilize itself before facing voters again.
The numbers in Parliament also tell part of that story. After winning seven seats in the snap election, the FNM’s caucus has already been reduced to six. Hiram Lewis aligned himself with the Coalition of Independents, while former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has announced an independent run, despite still being listed as an FNM MP.
Bostwick was measured in her comments on Minnis, saying his decision was his to make.
“That he has decided to do that. But it is his decision to make,” she said. “Dr Minnis made great contributions to our party and to the country.”
Even so, the fact that such a prominent former leader is choosing to step outside the party fold only adds to the impression of an opposition still wrestling with disunity at a critical political moment.
Bostwick also appeared to concede that the party’s political foundation has taken a hit, even as she argued the FNM remains viable.
“Its base has been affected,” she said, though she added that the party has also “gained support.”
That formulation may do little to quiet doubts about the FNM’s electoral strength. In politics, a damaged base is never a small issue, especially for a party trying to rebuild after defeat and present itself as a government-in-waiting.
While Bostwick maintained that the FNM is “in a good position to contest this election” and can still be “effective”, her own remarks suggest a party that is still on uncertain footing — divided, reduced in parliamentary strength, and facing real questions about whether it can reconnect with enough voters to return to office.
