NASSAU, Bahamas — The Free National Movement (FNM) is facing a potential electoral “civil war” following the explosive formal campaign launch of former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis in Killarney this past Saturday.
Running as an independent out of what he calls “necessity,” Dr. Minnis leveled a series of scathing allegations against the current FNM leadership under Michael Pintard, painting a picture of a party that hasn’t just moved on, but has actively sought to humiliate and erase one of its most successful electoral assets.
A Systematic Campaign of Silence
Dr. Minnis described an environment of professional isolation that many political analysts suggest borders on personal vendetta. According to the former Prime Minister, the Pintard-led leadership issued a “gag order” of unprecedented proportions. Local FNM associations were reportedly instructed to remove Minnis from flyers and speaking programs. Minnis claimed he was told not to answer press questions directly, but to “submit” his answers to leadership for “fleshing out” before they would speak on his behalf. He recounted a chilling dismissal from the leadership team: “I was told… that ‘I had my time,’ it’s now their time… and in fact, they don’t want to hear from me.”
Most damagingly, Minnis alleged a coordinated “smear campaign” targeted not only at his political record but at his wife, a move he described as a betrayal of the party’s core values.
The Pintard Gamble: Unity or Uniformity?
While Michael Pintard has framed his leadership as a “new direction” for the FNM, the treatment of Minnis suggests a high-stakes gamble. By effectively pushing a former Prime Minister into an independent run, Pintard risks splitting the opposition vote in a cycle where the PLP is already aggressively campaigning on its own record.
Critics within the party suggest that Pintard’s refusal to integrate the “Minnis wing” of the FNM shows a lack of the “Big Tent” philosophy required to win a general election. The presence of heavyweight figures like Renward Wells and former DNA leader Branville McCartney at Minnis’ launch suggests that the former PM still commands a significant, and potentially disgruntled, base of support.
The Independent “Truth-Teller”
Unshackled from the “party whip,” Minnis is positioning himself as a candidate who can finally speak “the facts” on national crises—specifically healthcare. In a move that likely rattled both the PLP and FNM, he admitted that the healthcare system has “deteriorated under every Prime Minister, including myself,” calling for a non-partisan overhaul.
“That’s the advantage of an independent candidate,” Minnis told the crowd. “He will tell you the facts. Too many Bahamians are dying unnecessarily.”
The Electoral Fallout
The FNM leadership remains tight-lipped, with Chairman Dr. Duane Sands declining to respond to the allegations. However, the silence may be deafening for FNM voters.
If Minnis manages to retain Killarney as an independent, or even if he simply draws enough “loyalist” votes away from the official FNM candidate, he could inadvertently hand a “path to victory” to the PLP in several swing seats. By treating Minnis as a pariah rather than an elder statesman, Pintard may have turned a retired leader into his most dangerous electoral opponent.
For many in the FNM, the question is no longer whether Minnis “had his time,” but whether Pintard’s handling of him has just cost the party theirs.
