Flambeau
Activists Called To Service (FACTS)
Castries
St.
Lucia
January 5th, 2014
Mr. Allen
Chastanet
Party Leader
United Workers
Party
Party Headquarters
Rodney Bay
Castries
Dear Mr.
Chastanet.
Members of recent
vintage have introduced to, and subsequently infused our organization with
a new and different ethos that has compromised our bedrock principles of
Unity, Loyalty and Cooperation. It can be said without fear of
contradiction that the United Workers Party has morphed into an
organization without direction, embroiled as it is in division, materialism,
internal wrangling, hierarchical disharmony and a preoccupation by a new
cadre of members with position and entitlement. A laundry list of
classless public confrontations and internal bullying has essentially
stripped the organization of its remaining vestiges of widespread public
adoration and support.
The New leadership has
seemingly mistaken a sense of frustration with the existing
administration, as a surefire ticket to electoral victory, while simultaneously
remaining oblivious to our obvious shortcomings.
Activities leading up to
the Party Annual Convention of 2013 and the management of the Party’s
business in its aftermath have left an untold number of Party supporters
appalled and disheartened. In many cases, we can describe the prevailing
sentiment as one of outrage - without transgressing into exaggeration. A
smug and overconfident leadership remains oblivious to the strong
undercurrents of disaffection which currently render our Party unfocussed
and ineffective.
The following list is by
no means exhaustive, but serves to highlight some of the major infractions
without going into detail:-
1. The newly introduced
American format of island wide campaigning and the disparaging of members by
members.
2. The marginalization
of long serving, long suffering and loyal delegates of the Party in a
campaign intended to ensure that the outcome at the convention was
favorable to a particular candidate and his team.
The damage this has done
in fermenting division and loathing amongst our supporters will be
difficult to reverse.
3. The non-existence of
any hierarchical order within the organization which would allow for a
structured ascension to positions of authority and decision making based
on service, established loyalty, long term commitment and a proven track
record of political and national service.
4. A national convention
at which outright hatred accompanied by the most disparaging of comments
being leveled at Party members to the obvious delight of persons who hold
positions of authority within the Party.
5. The deepening of
divisions within the organization following the Convention and the failure
of the current leadership to correct this destructive development.
6. There appears to be
no clear strategy for governance. The focus remains one of consistent low
value attacks on the Government accompanied by a slew of often
ill-informed references to Sir John by the Party leader.
7. No clear strategy for
Opposition but rather a mish mash of irrelevant and poorly timed political
comments which have exposed the soft underbelly of the Leadership.
8. Finally, and yet
again, an ongoing priority at reorganizing the Party with the objective of
dismantling established and successful procedures and institutions. As
experienced Party loyalist, this for us is a poorly disguised effort to cement
the current leadership in its current position and establish a
stranglehold on the Organization. This self-serving process has undermined
our values and left many supporters disheartened and confused.
No true UWP supporter
should tolerate this situation; neither can it be allowed to fester for
much longer. The Party does not control the timing of elections; and
events following the Convention have left the Labour Party far more
confident in their ability to salvage what was until then an unprecedented
disaster in Office. The shine is now off the ball and only ability and
experience will win the day.
Noting the urgent need
for reconciliation and sensible reform, a number of persons from various
walks of life with a lifelong commitment to the success of our Party have
formed ourselves into an organization under the rubric of FACTS- Flambeau
Activists Called to Service.
We uncompromisingly see
this, not only as a call to serve our Party, but also to SAVE our Party
from remaining indefinitely in the hands of anyone who neither knows,
understands or is leading this Party in a sustainable way. We accept that
there is need for reorganization; but not reorganization that is designed
to strip the members of their democratic rights - including the right of
constituency groups to choose their candidates. Not reorganization that
allows a few recently minted “UWPS” with questionable motives and
manufactured loyalty to obtain and retain a stranglehold on the operations
of our dear Party. Not reorganization that seeks to erase the contribution
of long serving members of this Party who are viewed as a threat to the
narrow and soon to be exposed real objectives of a few well-disguised
operatives within and without. Certainly the fifth columnists in all this
will soon be brought under the spotlight of internal and public scrutiny
in order to ensure political success and the long term survival of our
organization.
We believe the entire
process leading up to the convention was dangerously flawed and the
current situation clearly shows that we are correct. The most urgent
priority of the current leadership was and remains the mending of fences
and rebuilding of trust and cooperation. This has not been done and the
obvious question is WHY. Why is it more important to reorganize? Moreover
how can it be reasonable to reorganize without the benefit of the
experience and attendant input of senior members of the
organization?
Might there be a desire
to mold the organization in a particular way prior to inviting the
participation of certain persons? What happens if the reorganization
absents the input of persons who in subsequent conventions assume
leadership positions? Do they then reorganize the reorganization?
Obviously there are huge gaps in the planning process here and this is
primarily due to the ongoing attempt at marginalization and the
consolidation of power. It is not only short sighted; it is immature, neurotic
and narcissistic!
Clearly the repeated
gaffes and apparent constitutional ignorance of persons involved in the
ongoing attempts to compromise the stature and marginalize the authority of the
former Prime Minister and current Leader of the Opposition are
unwarranted, ill-advised and unacceptable. It is not difficult to
understand the insecurities of the Political Leader given his inexperience
and his obvious anxieties about finding a seat that he can win. Again,
that’s comprehensible in a narrow self-serving context!
We the FACTORS intend to
assist in remedying these obvious defects that are compromising our
ability at winning what should be a landslide victory in the next general
election. The Leader needs a makeover - call it rebranding - and the Party
desperately needs help and direction. We are here to assist through strict
adherence to what has made this organization successful in the past. Our
recent electoral failures were not caused by the self-serving finger
pointing that has been the hallmark of those who sought to influence the
thinking of Party members, but by far deeper and carefully orchestrated
plans of action designed to take over our Party.
We remain in very close
communication as a group and our growing membership includes a wide array
of supporters from diverse disciplines and geographic locations - most
notably the established Diaspora that the Leader has so desperately sought
to engage.
Neither our values -
which emanate from the traditional values of the UNITED WORKERS PARTY - or
our resolve to do what is in the best interest of our Party will be
diluted or in any way compromised by anyone.
Our commitment is
steadfast and the task at hand shall be completed!!
We are watching!
Your watchmen on the
wall.
Cc: Mr. Lenard Montoute,
Deputy Leader
Dr. Gale Rigobert,
Deputy Leader
Mr. Ezekiel
Joseph, Chairman
Ms. Mary Polius,
1st
Deputy
Chairperson
Mr. Andy Daniel,
2nd Deputy Chairperson
Mr. Oswald
Augustin, General Secretary
Branch
Chairpersons
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