Michael Pintard, Leader of the Free National Movement (FNM), has sidestepped questions regarding the party’s potential participation in the upcoming Golden Isles by-election. Instead, he has intensified his appeal for Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis to announce an early general election. Sources reveal that the FNM has yet to officially decide on fielding a candidate, with internal divisions emerging over the strategic value of such a move. Some party members caution against depleting campaign funds ahead of the general election, while others argue that a victory in Golden Isles could galvanize the base and attract new financial support. The debate mirrors the prelude to the 2023 West Grand Bahama and Bimini by-election, where the FNM ignored advice from former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and suffered a defeat. Historically, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has dominated by-elections this century, securing victories in 2010 and 2012. Golden Isles residents have expressed dissatisfaction with their late representative, Vaughn Miller, who passed away on September 28, creating a potential opening for the FNM. Pintard criticized the Davis administration’s financial struggles, labeling a by-election as a wasteful expenditure of scarce resources. He emphasized that Brian Brown, the FNM’s local leader in Golden Isles, is prepared for a general election. Meanwhile, within the PLP, several candidates, including Senator Darren Pickstock, Joe Johnson, and D’Asante Smalls, are vying to succeed Miller, awaiting Davis’s decision on whether to proceed with a by-election or a general election.