Hopefuls sit out suspension vote

The two candidates seeking to be elected the new president of the island’s main public sector union recused themselves from the vote which resulted in the suspension of Akanni McDowall as president and as a member.

The two vice presidents who would have been eligible to chair the two National Council meetings of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) in the absence of McDowall to discuss charges against him, pulled themselves from the decision-making process.

Speaking Tuesday night on the Kemar Saffrey live online Debrief TV show which looked at the upcoming  July 15 general election, presidential candidate Kimberley Agard who is the leader of Team New Guard, revealed that she and the second vice president who is also contesting the upcoming poll, did not take part in the decision to suspend McDowall.

“In the absence of the president, the chairs of the meeting would be assigned based on the seniority of the vice presidents, and I am the current third vice president,” she explained.

“When this issue was discussed, the counsellors wanted to maintain the integrity of the decision, because persons on my team, both brother Bostic the current second vice president and myself, the third vice president, would have been the persons to chair the meetings in the absence of the president and first vice president.

“At those meetings, the counsellors would have moved a motion that both brother Bostic and myself recuse ourselves from the chair. And so, an independent chairman was chosen from amongst the counsellors, so it cannot then be seen or shown that we steered the meeting in a particular direction,” Agard contended.

She insisted that the process through which the suspended president was disciplined was done according to the rules of the union.

Also contributing to the discussion was another presidential candidate and member of the National Council Fabian Jones who leads Team Vision for the Workers’ Interests Now (WIN).

Jones also defended the way in which the council came to its decision to discipline McDowall.

“I am glad that the council, the highest policy-making body outside of annual conference is treating the administration of the union in a way that they should have long time,” the NUPW presidential candidate stated.

Jones also responded to a question raised by Saffrey about a potential conflict of interest if he and other candidates challenging McDowall in the race for the presidency are also members of the disciplinary council adjudicating his case.

“Well we are members. We have our vote. There are about 30 or 40 more. It’s a wider body and democracy, common sense and wisdom would have prevailed,” the council member said while hinting that the charges against McDowall included his alleged criticism of the NUPW.

Jones said he could not apologise for the behaviour of another member, in an apparent reference to McDowall who appeared to support the controversial failed proposal to create the post of Secretary General, earmarked for him.

He was suspended on the eve of nomination day in preparation for the upcoming union elections, making him ineligible to run for any office. (EJ)