Desperate for attention, Bamboo Town MP Branville McCartney has taken to making unfounded personal attacks on the Prime Minister.
Political observers, however, say that the young MP could face some serious challenges in his bid for re-election.
In a front page article, The Tribune reports that, “while being overly cautious not to make Mr McCartney out to be a ‘martyr’ for the growing voice of independents in the country, power players within the FNM say there are ways of “handling” the young MP.”
McCartney seems to forget that he was elected not so much for who he is, but more for the fact that he was representing the FNM. Without the FNM’s backing, he will most certainly have a tough time keeping his seat in the next general election.
Mr McCartney’s recent attacks on the Prime Minister could come back to haunt him. Instead of lowering the public’s opinion of Mr Ingraham, the unfounded commetns show a remarkable openness and freedom of speech that exists within the FNM party. This is in sharp contrast to the stifling, vindictive stance taken against insiders who criticise the PLP.
In fact, it has even been alleged that Mr McCartney has been a PLP operative for years.
Some say that McCartney’s close relationship with former PLP fundraiser Frank ‘snake’ Wilson shows his secret allegience to the PLP has been going on for years.
“McCartney stuck his foot in his mouth with his comments about Hubert Ingraham. Fortunately for him he has small feet,” said one political observer.
This led another person to laugh and remark that Mr McCartney compensates for his small feet by owning a big dog.
McCartney’s comments on Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s lack of compassion were described by Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Carl Bethel as an attack and “political posturing.”
“There is no question that such an attack upon the prime minister is totally without any foundation and must be viewed as merely the manifestation of a personal agenda,” said Mr Bethel in a statement responding to McCartney’s comments.
McCartney said that the FNM would be challenged at the polls in the next general election, partly because of Mr Ingraham’s lack of compassion toward the Bahamian people.
Indeed, it may be Mr McCartney who will be challenged at the polls.
