Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 20, 2011 News
Over the course of the past few days the internal struggle for leadership of The United Force has significantly
escalated with both factions fighting for leadership promising to spearhead a campaign bid at the polls come November, 28.
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 yesterday there were verbal exchanges as well as police threats against Garrido-Lowe.
When asked yesterday 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?.”
Speaking directly to the upcoming election and in particular, to Nomination Day when the party will provide the Guyana Elections Commission with its list of Candidates, Garrido-Lowe told media operatives, “I have no idea about the list.”
But Nadir persevered yesterday and Garrido-Lowe was eventually evicted following a meeting with the executive of the TUF and Manzoor Nadir.
She had insisted that she would not vacate Unity House but security was sent with instructions to have her, her entourage and personal belongings removed.
Garrido-Lowe is insisting that her activists and supporters are currently in the field and lists from the various regions are almost completed. “I will not let anything deter me.”
She says that she plans to do everything within her power to lawfully move towards Elections Day and she is confident that she has the backing of the majority of the executives of TUF.
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.
The TUF stalwart explained that 29, May, 2011 Garrido-Lowe was elected leader and Presidential Candidate and as such the executive remained.
Nadir explained further that the Constitution of the TUF is explicit in that it gives powers to the Executive to manage the party and in cases of emergencies the executive committee’s decision is final.
The Labour Minister explained that Garrido-Lowe began making statements and attributed to an executive meeting that was never held, “and so we had on September 1, a resolution of the executive.”
This did not find favour with Garrido-Lowe and as such according to Nadir she decided to move to the courts.
This injunction was granted by Justice James Bovell-Drakes five days later and the service for that injunction was effected on the Chairman despite two persons being named.
This service, he added, was effected late into the evening and as such was only deemed to be valid from the following day.
Nadir said that Ismail Muhammad, the Chairman of the party and himself followed the instructions in the injunction to the letter and abided with its directives.
“That is why we made no statement…We respected the Judge’s orders.”
That injunction directed that both the party Chairman and Nadir must not prevent Garrido-Lowe from performing her function as leader and Presidential Candidate.
He said, however, that the legal process allowed for them to make an application to dismiss that injunction and this was subsequently done.
The duo however insisted that they were still allowed to make the same application to dismiss the injunction to the Full Court where two judges would hear the matter.
Nadir said that he will not be the person contesting the election from the TUF platform and reminded of the resolution that would effectively cause him to remain leader of the party until a satisfactory alternative is found.
“The executive decision of September 1 stands,” according to Nadir who reminded that the injunction preventing either himself or the Chairman from allowing Garrido-Lowe to carry out the leader of the TUF has been lifted.
Nadir told media operatives that they have been very amicable in their dealing with the matter and had given Garrido-Lowe ample time to remove herself from Unity House.
Following several hours of back and forth, a decision was taken to have Garrido-Lowe removed from Unity House. The locks on the doors were changed.
This was much to the dismay of a few that had gathered outside of Unity House and said that they were supporters of Garrido-Lowe. They said that Nadir had compromised the party through his association with the ruling People’s Progressive Party.
They insist that it is only some on the executive that are supportive of Nadir and that the greater portion of the party is behind Garrido-Lowe.
The few that gathered outside Unity House yesterday said that should she not be returned to the helm of the party they would not vote for the TUF or any other party and so too would the other supporters of Garrido-Lowe.
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