Ganga Singh to face UNC Disciplinary Committee

Half of the committee’s membership was selected on Wednesday night and the other half will be chosen by the United National Congress at a specially convened meeting on March 24. The committee will comprise 12 members.

Sources said the decision came after much discussion at Wednesday night’s meeting on whether Singh and his executive were the only persons who breached party "discipline."

Sources said they regretted that the executive did not take the recommendations of Gary Griffith — that the executive should wipe the slate clean and start looking only at statements made after Sunday’s rally, when the call for discipline was endorsed by the rank and file.

During the meeting, Griffith said the starting line (for discipline) should be Sunday’s meeting.

According to sources, Griffith reiterated statements made at the last executive meeting that many persons — including those who comprised the leadership — had attacked other members and that they should also be referred, along with Singh and his executive, to the Disciplinary Committee.

Sources said it was argued that the Hansard report clearly showed that Singh’s attack was "veiled," whereas Jack Warner’s attacks on Political Leader Winston Dookeran had been naked and undisguised.

Warner responded that the party had to enforce discipline and that, in the interest of doing this, he had no problem going before the Disciplinary Committee himself. Griffith argued, sources said, that the party would be opening a "can of worms" and a "pandora’s box" if it chose to single out Singh. He said all the statements made during the internal election campaign could be brought into the brew and that many people could be hauled before the committee. He said the party would be the laughing stock of the country if that happened.

Sources said Griffith even suggested to Chairman Basdeo Panday that he was partly responsible because he allowed a "Wild West" atmosphere to prevail during the run-up to the internal elections.

Sources said the other issue which raised some questions was the fact that statements made by Griffith at last week’s meeting, expressing the view that Warner should be sent to the committee if Singh was being sent, were not minuted by the secretary Beverly Drayton. However, statements made by Wade Mark calling for disciplinary action against Singh and the Caroni East executive were duly minuted.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Griffith refused to provide details on the executive meeting. He said however as a general principle he agreed with Panday "one hundred percent" that "enough was enough and that some party members were acting like spoilt children."

However, Griffith said he believed that as a general principle the party needed to ensure that there was a level playing field and that statements made by all members against each other should be examined. He also raised concerns about reports that a female supporter in a Winston Dookeran tee shirt was slapped by a fellow member at Sunday’s rally. Also disturbing him was the regular attacks on executive members and others perceived to be supporting Dookeran by two radio announcers who were aligned to the executive.

He said all breaches of Article 21 should be investigated, including those committed during the campaign of the internal elections. "Everyone must be equal and there should not be a situation where some are more equal than others," he said.