Saturday, January 22, 2011

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) seeks to resolve candidates dispute in the Kennedy and South Beach constituencies

PLP seeks to resolve candidates dispute
By BRENT DEAN
thenassauguardian
Deputy News Editor
brentldean@nasguard.com




The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has decided to appoint two 10-member committees to assist in bringing resolution to candidate disputes in the Kennedy and South Beach constituencies, The Nassau Guardian has learned.

The party made the move at its National General Council (NGC) meeting Thursday night at PLP headquarters, party sources said. Upset PLPs raised the issue that the proper process had not been followed, the sources said, leading to the ratification of candidates for those constituencies.

In December, the PLP announced Bahamas Nurses Union president Cleola Hamilton as its South Beach candidate and attorney Dion Smith as its Kennedy candidate.

However, the Kennedy branch recommended attorney Derek Ryan to the party and South Beach’s branch recommended attorney Myles Laroda. The PLP’s constitution calls for the appointment of committees when there are discrepancies between who the party selects as a candidate and who the branch recommends.

The PLP’s constitution says that when there is a conflict between the recommendation of the branch and the decision of the party’s candidates committee, a joint meeting should be held including the branch and 10 members of the NGC appointed by the party chairman in consultation with the leader.

That meeting would be charged with “amicably” resolving the matter and reporting to the PLP leader.

This had not been done when Hamilton and Smith were announced as candidates.

1/22/2011

thenassauguardian