TUF ‘leaders’ for literal Nomination Day Run

Oct 23, 2011 News

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… first to present Candidate’s List would be accepted-Boodoo

The leaders of The United Force (TUF) are at present set for a Nomination Day sprint should they not resolve

the internal struggle by Thursday.
Should the party not settle on a Leader and Presidential Candidate it appears that one of the two factions will be accepted on an ‘early bird catches the worm’ scenario.
This is clearly not the ideal situation for Guyana Elections Commission Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally.
According to the Commission’s Chief Elections Officer, Gocool Boodoo, TUF has the court to resolve its internal struggles for leadership but come Nomination Day whoever presents the requisite documentation will be recognized as the candidate for the 2011 Regional and General Elections.
At present, the executive of the party has been separated into two factions, namely those that support Manzoor Nadir, the Labour Minister who was the Presidential Candidate and Leader of the party at the previous elections, and Valerie Garrido-Lowe who was recently elected as leader and was at the time endorsed by Nadir.
Only recently the Full Court dismissed an injunction which was sought by Lowe and had prevented the party’s Chairman Ismail Muhammad and Nadir from obstructing her from carrying out the functions as leader.
When the injunction was thrown out the Manzoor Nadir faction of the party, acting on his instructions, evicted Lowe from the party headquarters (Unity House) on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive.
Each faction has registered for itself, its name and symbol and for the TUF this is the sun. Come Nomination Day (Thursday) whichever faction arrives first at City Hall and presents the required List of Candidates, requisite signatures and other obligatory necessities, will be accepted.
Dr. Surujbally told media operatives that already the internal struggle in the TUF has led its tentacles into GECOM given that the necessary documentation for political parties such as the Official List of Electors had to be submitted twice.

One set of documentation was sent to the TUF and following the Court ruling GECOM was informed that there was another leader and as such the documents had to be resent but come Nomination Day only one faction would be accepted.
According to Boodoo, “Its one symbol and two parties can’t hold on to a single symbol. The first group to present the list would be accepted.”

The Chief Elections Officer told media operatives that should there be an aggrieved group then the matter will have to be adjudicated in the Court. “It’s as simple as that.”
It was pointed out that should one of the groups be construed as an entirely new political party then that group will have to apply for a name and a separate symbol to be registered with the elections body.
“Only one group can present a list with the symbol and that name,” according to the Election official. Dr. Surujbally did stress that there has to be some alternative to sorting out the imbroglio. He said that the first come first serve system “cannot be the answer.”
He said that should this be the situation there must be some option in law where the situation is accommodated. “Mr. Boodoo cannot be placed in such an unsavoury position.”
Both factions fighting for leadership of the party have promised to spearhead a campaign bid at the polls come November 28.
Nadir has indicated that he does not intend to be Presidential Candidate for the party but some in his camp are not in support of the other faction’s leader, Garrido-Lowe.
The Full Court comprising Justice William Ramlal and Justice Winston Patterson, on Tuesday last dismissed the injunction granted by Justice James Bovell-Drakes, to Valerie Garrido-Lowe against Manzoor Nadir and Ismail Muhammad, the party’s Chairman.
When it discharged the injunction, the Full Court found that the lawyers for Ms Garrido-Lowe filed outside of time and therefore there was nothing for Nadir to defend.
The Full Court did not examine the internal issues of the party.
This did not settle well with the factions in the party as on Wednesday there were verbal exchanges as well as police threats against Garrido-Lowe.
When asked about her position in the party and if she was still going to assume the position of leader of the party Garrido-Lowe answered in the affirmative saying that it must be borne in mind that she was elected at a special members’ conference, according to the party’s constitution.
The politician insisted that the only way in which she can be removed is if another members’ conference is held to remove her.
“A few minority executives cannot hold a meeting and expel me or discard me or dismiss me…they don’t have the legal power according to the constitution to do that.”
Lowe insisted, “I am still leader of the TUF and I plan to carry out my mandate.”
She pointed out that to those dissenting voices against her there is not much that she could do but warned, “I am not going to put my tail between my legs and run away…Why should I?.”
The position of the other end of the argument came when Nadir showed up at Unity House and held an impromptu briefing and was flanked by what he deemed, “the members of the executive of the TUF.”
Nadir told media operatives that the officials by his side were all elected on August 15, 2005.
He said that the party has not had an annual conference to change the executives.
According to him, there has only been one change to the executive of the TUF and it was when he had stepped down as leader of the party.

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