McCartney says FNM comments a 'slap in the face to Bamboo Town residents'
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Deputy Chief Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net
SUGGESTIONS that Bamboo Town is an FNM constituency is a "slap in the face" to residents of the area who deserve full representation regardless of political affiliation, MP Branville McCartney said.
His comments came after a source in the Free National Movement said Mr McCartney will lose his seat in the next election to Cassius Stuart, who is the party's unofficial candidate for the area.
"I think that it's almost a slap in the face to Bahamian people. It is a constituency for the Bahamian people," said Mr McCartney, as he prepared to host a town meeting in Grand Bahama yesterday.
The former FNM member said he had hoped that Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham would be the party's candidate to challenge him in a "leader-to-leader" battle.
"I was a bit disappointed to hear that Cassius may be running especially after the prime minister and (members of his) Cabinet went down there a few months ago and indicated that they were sure it was an FNM seat and the prime minister and the Cabinet apologised for sending me there.
"I thought it was going to be leader against leader," he said.
Earlier this week, a well-placed source in the FNM said Mr Stuart will beat Mr McCartney because constituents in Bamboo Town are "hard-core" FNM supporters.
"Bamboo Town is like what Bain Town is to the PLP, hard-core, and the people are very upset that Branville abandoned them the same way they were upset when (former area MP) Tennyson Wells did it to them. Bamboo Town is FNM and will go back to the FNM," said the source.
Yesterday Mr McCartney said he does not know if voters in the area he represents will back Mr Stuart, or the Progressive Liberal Party's candidate Renward Wells.
But he said his work in Bamboo Town over the last four years speaks for itself.
"I've done my part as a representative. We have a number of programmes that started from 2007 and we do (area) walkabouts once a week."
"I can't say whether or not they would vote for him or others. Obviously there is going to be a three-way race or more, the Bahamian people and the people of Bamboo Town will have to decide," he said.
September 23, 2011
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