'Liability' Bastian dropped by DNA
By PAUL G TURNQUEST
Chief Reporter
tribune242
pturnquest@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Member of Parliament for South Andros, Whitney Bastian has been denied a nomination to run for the Democratic National Alliance in the upcoming general election.
According to Mr Bastian the DNA felt that he would be more of a "liability" rather than an asset because of his storied past, having been placed on the "restricted list" of the United States of America.
The DNA has been getting lacklustre reviews from observers for the choice of candidates they have selected so far. The decision to reject Mr Bastian is seen as a surprise considering his popularity in South Andros.
Still without a US Visa to this date, Mr Bastian said that he has never sought to have himself removed from this list after he was charged and later acquitted of a drug offence back in 1987.
"This Visa issue is a simple thing. My position to them was that, in fact this was an issue that came up sometime ago. I said you don't need a Visa to go to the US. You can go on your police record, and my police record is clean. If you are charged with any offence you are put on the restricted list. And since that was an issue, and since I have no issue with that I presented them (the DNA) with my clean police record.
"But unless you apply to be reinstated, a Visa is not automatically given to anyone. I was told in the same breathe, that the nomination decision had to be unanimous and they were so sad that they could not get everyone to agree. They feel that I would not be an asset to the organization, and instead I would be a liability," Mr Bastian said.
Attempts to reach the leader of the DNA, Bamboo Town MP Branville McCartney for comment on Mr Bastian's nomination were unsuccessful.
As a former MP who has held the seat of South Andros before, Mr Bastian said that he can accept the DNA's decision for what it is, but vowed that he will continue to campaign and run in the area as an Independent.
"I am not going to hit the roof, or get into a fight with anyone. I have run as an Independent before and won, and I will run as an Independent again. But I only held on because Branville asked me to hold on and be a part of his team. But it looks like someone else is running the party now because this is not what we discussed initially," Mr Bastian remarked.
"I don't know who is advising Bran, but I don't think they know what the hell they are doing. But Bran is the leader. I respect him and I have never done anything to undermine his position. And I will do nothing to undermine that position and you will never hear me talking bad about Bran and his organization, but there are some things that need to be fixed, but over time I believe they will be fixed," he said.
June 29, 2011
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