The two remaining candidates vying for presidency of the country’s largest public-sector trade union are moving full steam ahead with their bids, unbothered with the incumbent Akanni McDowall’s decision to withdraw from the race.
And while, on one hand, Fabian Jones conceded that some members are concerned about the political interference which McDowall said influenced his decision, challenger Kimberley Agard declared that she has encountered no such issues.
“If I were to speak to any interference or hindrance throughout the campaign, it would definitely be COVID-19 because you have to be conscious of the fact that people want to maintain their space and then a lot of the Government workers are working from home. So, if I were to speak of any hindrance or interference into the campaign for this election, I would definitely have to lay it on COVID-19 and not on any other external factors,” Agard told Barbados TODAY.
“I would have said before that it was his democratic right to choose if to continue into the elections or not. As it relates to political interference, I am not sure what he would have experienced or the challenges he would have faced in his campaign, so I can’t speak to those. For my campaign, I cannot concur,” the candidate added.
In a shocking revelation on Saturday, five days before the August 19 poll, McDowall revealed that he was walking away from the presidential race because of political interference that involved “an elaborate plan” to ensure the outcome of this election.
Jones, who is also pursuing the union’s top post, described the “surprising” developments as an important opportunity to reunify the union’s base. He wished McDowall, a former ally, “all the best”.
He also reiterated his campaign promise that under his leadership, the NUPW would be “friends of all, but satellites of none”.
“I am a bit concerned, worried and troubled about the claims that have been made, but I have decided to intensify and invigorate my effort to mitigate any chance of interference from anybody,” Jones told Barbados TODAY.
“As I canvassed the membership, it is a big concern for them. They are complaining that [the union] is too political for them and it is seen as too political, so I am glad that I have that as a canvassing platform, this thing about an independent union. I have stated that under my watch, the union would be friends of all, but satellites of none.
“So, I am counting on the membership to really come out and let their voices be heard at this time as I put forward my case for a stronger union and, most importantly, an independent union because I am listening to their concerns as well,” he added.
Agard declared that her team has never been focused on its contenders and was much more focused on doing the necessary groundwork.
“We would have done what we thought we had to do to become the new executive of the NUPW and throughout the campaign we would have made a conscientious effort to remain clean, smear-free and scandal-free and that is how we would have conducted our campaign throughout the past couple months. We hope that that effort would bring the fruits that we would like to see bear come Thursday,” she said.
“We are ready to serve the membership of the NUPW. We know the task ahead is a mammoth one and we are ready for it. We have committed and dedicated our time and effort towards what will be needed to bring the NUPW to the position that rightfully belongs to an institution of 77 years.” (KS)
