Branville 'lacking Cabinet support'
tribune242:
ALTHOUGH widely considered to be a "popular Member of Parliament" by the voting public, FNM MP Branville McCartney does not share that same level of support among his former cabinet colleagues, The Tribune has been informed.
Out of a cabinet of 17 persons, sources close to the Bamboo Town MP said Mr McCartney could have the backing of possibly only "three or four" ministers.
This support, however, is said to grow when one considers there are a few "disgruntled" backbenchers within the party who would like to see a change in the party's leadership.
A senior FNM told The Tribune: "For right now, the majority of Branville's support is on the outside of the party. So his allies, within the organisation, will have to be in a wait-and-see mode. You don't want to be the man to put up your hand in support of him and draw back a stump."
Another voting delegate within the FNM said Mr McCartney would be wise to implement a "wait and see" position at this time, as he should not allow "outside influences" to move him before "the right time."
"In politics, timing is everything. Having political capital, and knowing what to do with it, are two completely different things. It is also very hard to remove a leader who all you can say about him is that you don't like his style. So ambition, in this instance, must learn to pace itself," he said.
Currently, if Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham were to step aside as leader of the FNM by the end of the year, the governing party could see a six-way race for its leadership post.
Among the names being touted as persons interested in becoming the next possible leader of the organisation are: Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette, Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing, Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest, Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes, the chairman of the party Carl Bethel, and, of course, the former Minister of State for Immigration Branville McCartney.
August 19, 2010
tribune242
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
