A week after its annual convention, the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Grenada remains in damage-control mode over the composition of its new executive that was elected at the convention.

On Thursday, January 28, the NDC was forced to issue a public statement, saying their opponents “have put into circulation a vicious rumour to the effect that some senior members of our party are being ‘pushed out’ of positions of influence in the party, in order to make way for other persons loyal to our political leader” Nazim Burke. It said, “There is absolutely no truth to this claim! It is nothing but a vicious rumour.”

At the NDC’s convention on Sunday, January 24, in the northern parish of St Patrick, a new chairman, general secretary and public relations officer (PRO) were elected to the party’s executive.

New chairman Vincent Roberts replaced George Vincent, a current member of the senate; Randal Robinson took the place of another senator, Franka Bernadine, to become the new PRO; and Glen Noel is the incoming general secretary, taking over from former sports minister Patrick Simmons.

The executive choices led to open speculation and comments in the media that the move was designed to have loyalists of Burke surround him, and to neutralize any possible future challenges to his leadership.

Former NDC executive officer Ingrid Rush, who was one of the party’s losing candidates in general elections in 2008, said the political organization is on a path to “demise”.

“I am just outside looking in and watching what is happening and feeling a little bit somewhat sad. Because for me who has worked, and others who have contributed so much to a party we believe in, to see the demise of it, is very painful,” Rush said in a television interview. “Over the years we have been having some subtle moves in the National Democratic Congress, as it relates to the pushing out persons.”

One local newspaper, Caribupdate Weekly, called the action at the NDC conference “Naz’s second purging,” making reference to 2012 when ten senior NDC members, including then general secretary Peter David, were expelled at a convention of the party. At the time, Tillman Thomas was party leader and prime minister of Grenada, and Burke was his deputy and the minister of finance.

“One of the analysis is that the Burke loyalists wanted anyone that is likely to provide a challenge (to Burke), in the coming post-Thomas era, out of the way,” the paper said in commenting on the expulsions three years ago.

However, in Thursday’s statement, the NDC said that not having Vincent, Bernadine and Simmons as executive officers is part of a strategy to have potential candidates for the next general election “spend as much time as is physically possible in their constituencies, listening to the people, getting their views and opinion on issues affecting their lives, and doing everything possible to impact their lives in a positive way”.

The statement said the “leaders” of the party “collectively took the decision” on this approach, and “it was also agreed that an exception would be made for the political leader and deputy political leader”.

According to the NDC, the party “remains strong and united. Don’t be misled by those who wish to destroy us”.

Source: Caribbean News Now