“McCartney’s New Party Unlikely”
By ROGAN SMITH
It seems Branville McCartney is going to have a tough job convincing candidates to join the political party he’s trying to form as some of the people he’s attempting to court think of it as "a joke" and not a viable alternative to the two major political parties.
Some of the people who attended Mr. McCartney’s meeting Tuesday night said the Bamboo Town MP is clearly "out of his element."
According to a well-placed source close to discussions, Mr. McCartney, who invited 100 people to his home to discuss the new party, just does not seem to know what he is doing.
"The likelihood of him surviving this political slaughter is slim," the source said.
Mr. McCartney reportedly wants the leaders of two third parties – the Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) and the National Development Party (NDP) – to dissolve their organisations and choose a leader democratically.
According the source, those leaders are not even considering such a request.
The Journal understands that the NDP took exception to the request and it remains a "sore spot."
A local newspaper recently reported that Mr. McCartney had raised as much as $25 million to fund his new party. However, the source says that is "pure nonsense."
"Bran has no funding. He says people have agreed to help him if he is able to get commitments. They’re telling him ‘if you form this party we’ll give you the money.’ Bran says he wants to raise $25 million, which is a long stretch. The other parties aren’t even raising that amount," said the source, who agreed to the Journal’s interview on condition of anonymity.
"Branville doesn’t have the money. The major issue at the meeting was fundraising. There were also a lot of arguments going back and forth with people pontificating during the meeting. There was a lot of flowery talk, but nothing of substance. The meeting was full of chaos and confusion. It really just became a social hangout."
The source said to make matters worse, Mr. McCartney is courting a lot of "reject people."
"He is flocking towards candidates who I’m sure even the third parties would reject. Some of these people have very little chance of making a mark on the political scenery," he said.
Even more frustrating, the source says, is the fact that the former cabinet minister is expecting potential candidates to follow him, even though he does not have much political experience.
"Why should these people leave the parties they are with to join up with Bran? He’s someone who has never articulated any vision for the country. What has he done? The only thing he did was resign from Hubert Ingraham’s cabinet and later Hubert Ingraham’s party," he said.
"Mr. McCartney could not even complete his full term as a junior minister. Why would anyone follow his lead? He’s great at marketing himself. He’s great at public relations, but leadership, I don’t think so."
The source said many people turned up to the meeting simply to see what Mr. McCartney is up to.
"A lot of them are going to war during this election. They wanted to know what he’s doing and who the key players are. But, it’s a joke," he said.
"Bran believes that because he’s in the House [of Assembly] and is a sitting MP that he has the upper hand. I’ll give him this; he’s very calculating. But, what he’s attempting now has been done before. I can’t follow a man who [isn’t] smarter than me."
He continued, "Mr. McCartney need only tap the shoulders of Dr. Bernard Nottage [Bain and Grants Town MP] and ask him how it worked out for him when he left the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) to form his own party. The Coalition for Democratic Reform didn’t fare well, and that’s with a leader who was a political heavyweight."
The Journal understands that a union president, a former talk show host and several other politicians attended Mr. McCartney’s meeting.
"When you’re putting together a party, you have to dissect the candidates and decide who to run. When you pick just anyone the quality of your party deteriorates. Ask any fisherman fishing with a net, when you cast your net, you not only pull up grouper, you also pull up goggle eye fish, seaweed and some rocks – things you can’t use. The point I’m seeking to make is that Bran is courting candidates he can’t use politically," the source said.
Another well-placed source, who requested anonymity, said he does not think that Mr. McCartney will hold on to his constituency. He said he believes the majority of voters will elect a PLP or Free National Movement (FNM) candidate.
"Some people are excited about Bran, but quite frankly he’s going to get demolished at the polls. I’m concerned whether his party will survive after this upcoming election. If he loses tomorrow, I can guarantee you that he’s not going to stick in there. He has no stickability, his quitting as state minister and later the FNM, proved that. When things aren’t going his way, he’s out of there and he lacks courage," he said.
"Look at what he did in the House when the first vote on BTC came up. He was nowhere to be found. A true leader would’ve sat behind Mr. Ingraham and voted ‘no’ on the issue. Be a man. Then, he’s too wishy-washy. He says he respects Mr. Ingraham’s leadership, but felt stifled, then he comes up with some other excuse to try and preserve his political career. Which is it?"
The source said the true test will be what happens after the election.
March 31st, 2011
jonesbahamas
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.
