When a reporter attempted to nudge Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard to give a response on whether or not Rick Fox was running on the FNM ticket since Fox announced his plans to run in the next general election, Pintard didn’t deny any assertions, but he leaned in.
“I think he has a tremendous amount that he can contribute to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,” he said of Fox outside of Parliament on Wednesday.
“It’s regrettable that the deputy prime minister and the PLP would have taken potshots at him, referencing, again, his time competing for Canada. We have many Bahamians across the globe who are doing incredible things, and some have done some things under different banners, but they’ve remained loyal to The Bahamas, and we should reward that.”
“We are prepared to talk to Bahamians locally and abroad who wish to contribute to the empowerment of Bahamians.”
It seems Pintard is quietly signaling that the Free National Movement is courting Fox to become one of its candidates in the next general election.
Pintard praised Fox for his “tremendous amount” of contributions to the Bahamas.
If the FNM did not consider Fox, Pintard would have disassociated himself with Fox. But Pintard is signaling his party’s openness to a Fox partnership. Voters can now imagine Fox under the FNM banner
Pintard defended Fox strongly and sharply criticized the Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper and the PLP for taking “potshots” at Fox over competing for Canada.
Cooper said last week, he thought Fox, an ambassador-at-large and appointed by the PLP, was Canadian.
By defending Fox publicly, Pintard demonstrates that he values Fox and protects it. That is not something he would do if Fox were to head to the PLP or run as an independent. Neither would Cooper have said that.
Pintard then broadened the conversation to a bigger message: “We welcome Bahamians abroad.”
The line worth highlighting is: “We are prepared to talk to Bahamians locally and abroad who wish to contribute.”
It widens the scope from Rick Fox to the idea of recruiting voters from the diaspora, which suggests that Fox could be part of a strategy to bring high-profile Bahamians under the FNM banner.
Based on Fox’s criticism of the Progressive Liberal Party and Cooper’s off-putting statement about Fox, and Pintard’s defense of him, it could be concluded that Fox is very likely joining the FNM.
