Member of Parliament for Long Island, Larry Cartwright, said yesterday that he would not contest his seat in the next general election as an independent, and is expected to make a decision on whether he will form an alliance with the Free National Movement as early as mid-January 2006.
“The history of this country indicates that independents don’t stay independents very long. And so at some point in time, I will be joining a political party,” he told The Bahama Journal on Monday.
Mr. Cartwright’s comments came only days after former prime minister and newly elected leader of the Free National Movement, Hubert Ingraham, threw out an invitation to the Long Island MP to join the official opposition.
“When we go to Long Island we will determine whether Mr. Cartwright will be fish or fowl. He’s either gonna to be with us or against us. I expect he will be with us,” Mr. Ingraham declared to a roaring crowd of FNM supporters on Friday night, minutes after he embraced former PLP Senator Edison Key as a member of the FNM team.
But while keeping a tight lid on which party he will join alliance with, Mr. Cartwright stressed that “philosophically” he is an FNM.
“I’ve been an FNM all my life. I was born into and grew up in an FNM family, but I was elected as an independent candidate. So at this point in time I am not really leaning towards any particular side,” he explained.
Mr. Cartwright ran as an Independent in the 2002 general election soon after retiring from the civil service.
“I immediately became the secretary of the branch here in Long Island. My predecessor had indicated on more occasions than one that he wasn’t running anymore and that Long Island should find a new candidate,” he explained.
“Because of my activities within the party and on Long Island, the people chose me. But for some unknown reason, to this date, my predecessor decided to run again. But the people told me to hang in there and I ran on an independent ticket.”
Mr Cartwright has promised his constituents that he would consult them before making a decision on which party he would team up with for the next general election.
“I have promised my constituents that I would serve three-quarters of my term as an independent and we have not yet reached the 75 percent mark,” he explained.
“But I will be meeting with my constituents between now and January, and based on what they have to say, I would make a decision by the middle of January.”
He said that to date, many of his constituents are lobbying for his return to the FNM, and many others have urged him to remain an independent. But “only one or two” are pressing him to join the PLP.
Mr. Cartwright said that a number of things would have to fall into place for him to be swayed by the Free National Movement.
“Number one, I would be looking for a unified party,” he stressed.
“I think the wheels are in motion right now. They now have a ship that is sailing with a captain who can be on board the ship. Prior to that, whenever parliament met, the party’s leader was never there. And so it was very difficult for the party to make its presence felt. Now with the leader and deputy leader there, it will show that there is more active leadership.”
Commenting on Mr. Ingraham’s election to the party’s top post, Mr. Cartwright said that he believes that the former Prime Minister is capable of providing “really good leadership.”
“He is respected highly by the FNM at large. I think he can do what Dion Foulkes called for and unite the party,” he said
Mr. Ingraham has stressed that this is not the time for back fighting, back stabbing, disloyalty or disaffection within the party’s ranks.
He said it is a time for healing and for heeding the cry of the people.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
