Baptiste says NDP deteriorating

Former New Democratic Party (NDP) senator Anesia Baptiste says she has seen a deterioration in the NDP since her departure from its ranks in 2012.{{more}}

Baptiste, who is now the founder and leader of the Democratic Republican Party (DRP), said the experience which led to her being revoked as one of the party’s senators, left her very disappointed, as she had joined the party thinking they believed in the ideals of rights and justice and freedoms.

In an interview with Tony Regisford on IKtv’s “Unrendered” programme last weekend, Baptiste said as a young person in politics, who had spent many years overseas studying, she did not have “personal knowledge” of many of the men who made up the party.

She said she decided to join the NDP based on what they and their manifesto said, and because she felt she had enough points of agreement with them with which she felt she could work.

Baptiste says she is seeing the deterioration in the way fundamental ideals were being “seriously transgressed”.

One example, she said, is the manner in which the Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace fired his secretary, as, “it would appear, based on the dismissal letter, as if there was a lot of hearsay involved in his decision to dismiss her.

“This is the Opposition Leader. He is pitching for the job of prime minister. He is being looked at as the person who is about to manage the country. So it is obvious that persons are going to look at those things to see how he is going to handle his internal affairs,” she said.

The DRP leader is, however, of the view that neither the Unity Labour Party nor the NDP is fit to govern, saying that she, and others have been victimized by both of them.

To her, both parties “have a fundamental problem with how they handle being criticized, or persons in the country and in their teams being critical of them.”

Most of her criticism was for the NDP, however.

“On the part of the New Democratic Party, the leadership is really showing … a kind of dead way about them,” Baptiste stated.

“They do not behave with the kind of vigorous and active and energetic manner in which we need to go forward, to take this country,” she said.

The outspoken politician dismissed the recent protest march held by the NDP, saying, “Protest is one thing; effectiveness is another thing.

“Clearly they make a lot of mistakes with regards to how they handle matters that they consider will give them political points….,” she said.

“I was in the Parliament earlier [Thursday, August 15], and that was one perfect example. I couldn’t understand the need for the unruly behaviour of one of the members on the Opposition side with respect to his request for a chair….

“…He made a big bad about it.

“I found it totally unnecessary and unproductive,” Baptiste said.

“On another occasion, one of the senators came in and there was a disruption of the ministerial address from one of the ministers on the Government side; there was no reason for it.

“I am talking about governing. If you can’t handle your own internal affairs, and you have your own members being so disruptive and unruly and you can’t even manage them…what really is your position…?” she asked.

Baptiste said it is the intention of the DRP to contest all 15 seats in the next general elections, constitutionally due by 2015.

She, however, did not name any of the party’s other candidates.

“Yes, we are making progress, we are talking to persons, and we are working on it,” Baptiste said.

The party leader said the DRP, which she hopes will be balanced in composition, in terms of men, women and youths, will place emphasis on the values of its candidates.

“Meaning, that I want to know that my team respects the rights and freedoms of all of the people.”