“UNWARRANTED AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL”: Minnis accuses Sands of hostile and divisive interference in his constituency

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has accused Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Dr Duane Sands of unconstitutionally interfering in the affairs of his constituency, actions he considers “hostile and needlessly divisive.”

In a letter dated June 27, 2022, obtained by Eyewitness News, Minnis said Sands has intervened twice to force delays in elections in his constituency.

Dr Minnis said: “Under the party’s Constitution, the chairman has superintendence of the ‘general administration of the Party’ (under the general directions of the party’s executive committee).

“While the chairman has overall responsibility for the conduct of all elections in the party, inclusive of constituency association elections, it is the designated deputy chairman and the secretary general who are constitutionally empowered to ‘oversee the administration of constituency associations’, which necessarily involves the actual conduct of elections in such associations.”

“Under the Constitution, by firmly established conventions of the FNM, and by the dictates of common sense, the serving Member of Parliament must be consulted and must concur in any activities proposed to be conducted by the party and held in his or her constituency.

“It is unheard of for the party, through the chairman, to directly interfere in the internal administration of a constituency association which has an elected Member of Parliament who is in good standing in the party.”

While tension between Minnis and the FNM’s leadership has been simmering for months, this is the most public instance of friction between the former party leader and those who now run the party.

Minnis said: “The chairman has now interfered twice in order to force delays in two scheduled constituency association elections of the Killarney constituency, without just cause or even any reasonable explanation.

“When I called you to discuss the imposed impasse, you informed me that you now propose to host a town meeting in Killarney constituency prior to re-scheduling the long-delayed association elections.”

“I, as the MP for Killarney and the first named Member of Killarney Constituency association pursuant to Article 17 of the Constitution, regard this series of arbitrary acts of interference, and the proposed incursion into the constituency that I represent in Parliament, as hostile and needlessly divisive acts, which also happen to be unconstitutional.

“I suggest that you kindly govern yourself accordingly, and permit the responsible deputy chairman and secretary general to perform their constitutional duties, without further unwarranted and unconstitutional interference by you.”