– Garrido-Lowe warns him against “manipulating” executives
Leader of The United Force (TUF), Valerie Garrido-Lowe, says the party’s executive is considering expelling Manzoor Nadir from the party if he continues to “manipulate” some of its members.
Valerie Garrido-Lowe
At a press conference on Tuesday, August 30, to address the issue, Garrido-Lowe, accompanied by three other executive members, said the party expects Nadir, the current labour minister, to do the “decent thing” and vacate the party’s parliamentary seat.
“Election is just a few months away and TUF wants a fair chance at contesting; but we can’t get a fair chance if Mr Nadir is still in Parliament not representing us… We feel that if someone else goes there who can highlight the TUF, we will be better off,” the presidential candidate iterated.
She was quizzed again on the rationale of this decision, considering that the life of Parliament constitutionally ends in another 30 days.
“I think that it’s a principled position. We don’t want to continue to be seen or thought of as part of the PPP,” she responded.
Garrido-Lowe had written Nadir last week relating that an executive decision was taken for him to vacate the seat. She clarified that five executive members, including herself, made that decision. Only the seven executives centralised in the city are consulted on major issues; others in outlying areas are drafted in when needed, the party leader explained.
False claims
Two of the executive members – party chairman Ismail Muhammad and Murtland Williams – backpedalled on their earlier decision, Garrido-Lowe claimed.
Manzoor Nadir
Muhammad had sent a letter of apology to Minister Nadir, declaring the decision contained in the letter was a unilateral one made by that party’s leader. Muhammad’s letter was endorsed by six executive members: Denis Lee, Rita Freeman, Lillian Allen, Murtland Williams, Naieem Gafoor, and Julie Bourne.
However, Garrido- Lowe has shown the media letters signed by Freeman and Allen of Region 10, and Gafoor of Region Eight, which denied them agreeing to have their names included in any letter of apology to Nadir.
“The chairman is using Mr Naieem’s name without his permission, and the chairman is using two other executives’ names; and they have signed that they do not like it because it is causing confusion in the party,” Garrido-Lowe reported.
Gafoor, who was present at this press conference, told reporters that he was neither aware of the first meeting when the decision was taken to have the former leader step down from Parliament, nor did he grant permission to have his name included in an apology. However, he supported Garrido- Lowe’s position that Nadir should resign from Parliament.
TUF will shortly call an emergency meeting with the aim of taking disciplinary action against Muhammad for falsely appending the names of other representatives to his apology letter to Nadir. “In the meantime, he will not be allowed to transact any business, schedule any meetings, or write or speak on behalf of TUF until this matter is dealt with… and other executives decide otherwise,” Garrido-Lowe informed.
She was asked on what ground this action could be taken. “I am the leader (of the party), and if I wish to lead, if I want to tell people that I can lead, I have to deal with matters in my own party. If the chairman can’t live up to his word and he does something contrary to the party’s policies, I have to tell him that. I have to let him know that; and the other executives agree,” she said.
No ‘manipulation’
Considering that Nadir is the representative on the TUF 2006 List and only he can recall himself, the party has to rely on his good faith to prevail. But the party will not rest on the issue of his alleged manipulation of the executives; Garrido-Lowe said. The party is considering striking the name of Manzoor Nadir off its membership list.
“We want to go forward as an independent party. We do not want Mr Nadir’s manipulation from outside; we do not want that; we will not entertain that” said Garrido-Lowe.
