The island's oldest political organisation - the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) - is heading for another fresh rounds of bitter internal infighting.
The latest battle within the party is an attempt by a rival fraction involving barrister-at-law, Reynold Benjamin to remove former Cabinet Secretary, Gloria Payne-Banfield as the GULP Political Leader.
The move to unseat Payne-Banfield who led the party at the last general election in 2003 was disclosed Monday during a press conference held at the Tropicana Conference room on Lagoon Road.
A statement purported to come from the President of the party, Wilfred Hayes who did not attend due to illness and read by a member of the party disclosed that the female Political Leader was toppled in a Vote of No confidence earlier this month at an executive meeting.
Benjamin who has taken up the job of acting Political Leader attempted to justify the move against Payne-Banfield by telling reporters it is not by chance people have been saying that the GULP is dead.
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Gloria Banfield |
He said that for the past three years under the leadership of the former top civil servant, the party has not been dealing with the issues confronting the country in a decisive way.
As such, he said the party had to move the vote of no-confidence against the leader in order to rejuvenate the labour party.
Benjamin apologised for the failure of GULP over the past three years to address the issues which continue to plague Grenadians and gave assurances that the reconstructed party will not continue in that fashion.
He said that the persons now in charge of running the affairs of the labour party are continuing to rebuild the organisation and to attract new members to the fold.
The GULP is planning to hold a party convention next year to elect a new executive.
According to Benjamin, the labour party has a strong support base in the country but there is a need for it to attract young, fresh-blooded and talented people who can bring specific skills and expertise to the party.
The new Acting Political Leader said that following the last general elections when GULP failed to win a seat for the second consecutive national poll, Grenadians have somewhat settled for two political parties on the island and that no one looked to the GULP as a party to lead the country into the future.
He was quick to add that the party has been able to able to "slowly pick up itself" and is trying to put itself back together and to restructure to become a unit to be reckoned with in the near future.
Benjamin charged that Grenadians have become totally disillusioned with the political process in the country and hence the reason why GULP is trying to make itself into a viable alternative party for the people of Grenada.
The task ahead, he said is to present to the people a political party with vision and hope.
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| Hon. Tillman Thomas |
He noted that since the 2003 elections the people have lost confidence in both the Keith Mitchell-led New National Party (NNP) government and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of Tillman Thomas.
He stated that the people have once again begun to look to the GULP for comfort and hope.
The GULP was last in power in 1979 when it was removed by force of arms in a coup d'etat stated by the leftwing New Jewel Movement (NJM) of late Prime Minister, Maurice Bishop.
However contacted by GRENADA TODAY, General Secretary of GULP, Jerry Romain distanced himself from the statements issued by Benjamin and company at the press conference on the unseating of Payne-Banfield.
Romain said that the female political leader was elected leader during the party's last convention and it is only during a similar process that she can be removed.
He contended that what was disclosed at the press conference is contrary to the party's constitution adding that Payne-Banfield still remains as political leader of the GULP in law.
He noted that those who held the press conference choose to do so four days after the GULP leader left the country on an overseas trip.
Former Opposition Leader, Michael Baptiste who is one of two deputy political leaders of the party is known to be supportive of Payne-Banfield remaining at the helm of GULP.
