George: Balcombe unfit to run

Fri, Sept 3, 2010

Editor: I, Newton George, want the public to know that Cameron Balcombe is not in touch with the constituency of North Central Windward and he is lying to say (as stated in your August 27, 2010, paper) that my position is illegitimate and that I had formed a committee outside the constitution of the NDP.{{more}}

For some years, the NDP Party group in North Central Windward was not functioning, and members of that constituency announced a meeting on Lynch’s programme on the 17th May, 2010, to be held on the 20th May, 2010, in Georgetown. Dinky was informed by Radio of the meeting. I told him that he and I would attend the meeting. He then purposefully refused to attend the meeting, I attended the meeting. I recognized that the meeting was in accordance with the NDP constitution. Burton Williams was in attendance, representing the General Secretary, Alan Cruickshank. Also in attendance was Brian Nanton, who is supposed to be Dinky’s Chairman. He walked out the meeting for reasons no one knows.

A party group was elected and I was elected to the P.R.O.’s office. That meeting ordered that a letter be sent to Dinky inviting him to the next meeting. He refused to attend. By that time, another party group was established between Chester Cottage and Belle Vue. The NDP General Secretary, Allan Cruickshank, was in attendance at that meeting, which was to enable the establishment of a constituency division.

Prior to all of that, there were over five hundred names on the petition that went to the NDP Headquarters, rejecting Balcombe as the candidate for North Central Windward.

From 2009 (mid) I worked as mediator until recently when Dinky refused to attend the people’s meetings. We all know what sparked off last week’s protest at NDP headquarters.

The NDP is a Democratic institution that operates in conformity with rules of natural justice and a tribunal is set to meet in a special session on Thursday, 2nd September, 2010, to deal with this prolonging matter in N.C.W.

We are seeking Dinky’s resignation on the grounds that his selection/election to be the candidate was illegitimate in conjunction with Article 13 (1) of the NDP constitution; that he is irresponsible, arrogant, disrespectful to women and the community on a whole, among other things he is unfit to represent North Central Windward.

We want fresh elections to democratically elect a candidate by the people, for the people. Dinky will be free to contest that election if he so wishes. Down with Autocracy, up with Democracy!

Protest action will continue if Democracy is not allowed to reign.

Newton George