No immediate political future for Baptiste, says Leacock

Vice-president of the New Democratic Party (NDP) St Claire Leacock says he believes Anesia Baptiste, a former senator for the party, will have to wait some time before achieving political success.{{more}}

Baptiste has said she wants to become the country’s first female prime minister.

NDP leader Arnhim Eustace fired Baptiste from Parliament in April over a party politics.

She announced the Democratic Republican Party in August.

Leacock, area representative for Central Kingstown, on IKTV’s “Unrendered” on October 7, referred to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves saying he had some wilderness years before leading the country in 2001.

“I don’t think she has an immediate political future,” Leacock said of Baptiste.

He said that in politics, an individual needs a core of supporters.

“She doesn’t have that; she can build that, but she has done so much to destroy public confidence in her objectivity in many things and ability to serve and work herself through the systems and see through many facets of life,” Leacock said.

He said the manner in which Baptiste left the NDP was different from her leaving the ruling Unity Labour Party, of which she had also been a member.

Leacock also restated his support for Eustace in revoking Baptiste’s senatorial position.

“It was contemptuous, it was rude, it was disrespectful,” he said of Baptiste’s action, which included an 11-page letter to Eustace.

Leacock said Baptiste had also clashed with other prominent persons in society, including former attorney general Parnell Campbell, QC.

“It seems that she feels that there is no other voice of opinion except hers,” he said.

“I am not saying that the party is dead in the water, but she would have to pay her dues,” Leacock contended.

Baptiste said last week that the DRP would soon conduct a membership drive across the country. (DD)