Candidates split on poll delay

Former COP chairman Nicole Dyer-Griffith bemoaned the postponement, saying that COP members were getting frustrated by the repeated delay in them being able to exercise their vote but former deputy leader Sharon Gopaul-McNicols welcomed it.

Dyer-Griffith told Newsday, “There was a draft order by the justice of the High Court.

He agreed to a consent order that was submitted by Jamieson Bahadur and Kirt Francis that the election would be postponed and that the National Executive must convene on or before September 4 to consider the election date and so on. So the elections have been postponed for a second time.

“We have been calling members of all constituencies and they have been saying to us that if this election is postponed again, it shows that you all are not serious and you need to get your house in order.

And so said, so done.

“It was so important to let the election go on no matter what the outcome would have been. At least you would have been afforded the opportunity to at least have an administrative position filled because right now there is no leader, no deputy leader and no general secretary.

“Essentially, once you look at the health of the organisation, postponement of the election is a serious blow.” Dyer-Griffith said she remained very satisfied with the number of members expressing support for her campaign.

“We were calling members. The numbers on the board were so reflective of what was going to take place on Sunday,” she said.

“We conducted these polls in a very scientific manner and we were far, far ahead.

However, you know, it is what it is. We’ll see.” “I will continue with the momentum,” she added.

Dyer-Griffith said the court-ordered delay was a minor setback.

Gopaul-McNicols told Newsday, “I think it was a good decision to postpone the election because there were some clear irregularities about the candidacy of one person.” She also said an election was untenable in light of the recent mass resignation of COP officials.

“I think people realised things were unravelling and they decided to go the route of coming out of the party instead of standing and taking responsibility for the claims being made.” Newsday was unable to contact the third leadership contender, COP former chairman Carolyn Seepersad- Bachan.