Franklyn to speak, but meeting won’t be DLP branded

The St Peter branch of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has agreed to move ahead with former opposition senator Caswell Franklyn as guest speaker at a meeting on Sunday despite objections from party headquarters.

But the secretary of the branch Haynesley Benn disclosed on Tuesday that the meeting will not be held under the banner of the DLP.

That was the decision of the branch’s executive which met on Monday night to determine the way forward,  after DLP president Dr Ronnie Yearwood and general secretary Steve Blackett instructed Benn over the weekend not to invite Franklyn to speak at the September 24 branch meeting.

“Our meeting will go ahead as planned and we have advised the party that this thing will be going ahead under the banner of the Friends of St Peter,” Benn told Barbados TODAY.

He also informed that the branch had sought and been given legal advice on the action it should take on the matter.

“We don’t want to appear to be colliding with any of the principles or policies of the party. The party told us we cannot hold the meeting under their banner if Caswell is our speaker. So, we have advertised the meeting under the banner of the Friends of St Peter. We have already circulated the banner,” Benn revealed.

The instruction to prevent Franklyn from speaking at a DLP meeting was based on negative comments he made against the party and the president during a march last Saturday.
(EJ)