Anesia Baptiste: You used me, then throw me away

Petty jealousy and envy due to her popularity among the people, are some of the real reasons former Opposition senator Anesia Baptiste said she believes led to her being fired.{{more}}

She also believes that New Democratic Party (NDP) President Arnhim Eustace should resign as leader of the Party.

Baptiste, speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, said that she had been warned that her position was in jeopardy long before she wrote an 11-page letter to Eustace and the other members of the New Democratic Party’s Internal Strategy Support Committee, which resulted in her position being revoked.

“I was a Thusian all along and he knew this, but when it is politically expedient to get rid of me because of petty jealousy and envy, due to my popularity among people, more than some of you who feel leadership is yours by right, because you more senior…you make up a policy fast fast and demonize Anesia Baptiste for resisting injustice,” Baptiste told members of the media.

“What a shame, Mr Eustace, what a shame! You used me and then throw me away,” she continued.

“I knew this was in the works,” Baptiste said, adding that during the party’s convention last year, in her bid for the chairmanship of the party, she was “demonized” by members of the party.

“Oh you too young, you just come, you need to wait your turn, you need to win your seat first – they see you as power hungry and all sorts of senseless arguments,” she said.

Baptiste also revealed a conversation she had with a member of the party whom she did not name, but said that she had been warned that the top brass in the party were saying that she was power hungry and that she will be sidelined and that she needed to take it easy and relax and that she was to watch her senatorial position.

She said that she was told that another candidate was forced to run in order to keep her out and that she was later informed.

“This is the kind of nonsense that was going on in this party,” she continued.

“It is a shame, the worst thing is to go to the media and break my sacred trust and bring misrepresentations about my character, that you know aren’t true.”

A good leader would not do this, she maintained, especially to someone like her who worked “so hard to build the party’s image” which resulted in people voting the NDP.

“The Honourable Arnhim Ulrick Eustace should resign as leader of the NDP because he is not a good example of a leader,” she said, adding that sitting down behind closed doors was not going to win him an election.

She explained that she often told Eustace what was lacking in certain constituencies and kept encouraging him to get out more and meet and greet the people and find innovative ways to win the people’s support.

“Instead of giving attention to these things, is excuses and evil jealousy and conspiracies and fighting that kills the party,” she said.

This was why according to Baptiste, the NDP as it stood presently would never form government until the party got rid of the old leadership practices, she said.

“That is hurting us,” Baptiste said.

She said that the party needed to be reconstituted with young blood and by people who care and be creative and energetic to go out there and win the elections.

“And those who sit in compliance with an unconstitutional policy should resign too,” she said.

Baptiste said that it came as a shock to see how persons in the NDP leadership were fighting against her.

“I, Anesia Baptiste, who was instrumental in winning the referendum, who worked so hard to enhance their chances of governance, moving from three seats to seven,” she said.

Which was why she had been made senator in the first place, because she was well liked by the people, she said.

Baptiste said when she was sent home with half pay because she criticized the ULP’s policy, Eustace embraced her and promised to take various actions in her defence and today, when she stood up for the very rights and freedoms, he put her not on half pay, but on no pay.

“You have done worse than the ULP and to your own and this is evidence that you will not care for the people if you get in power,” Baptiste said.

“Instead of supporting me you all were jealous of me…that is the real issue here,” she said. (DD)