A former senior executive member of the opposition New National Party (NNP) has launched a scathing attack on attorney-at-law Dylan Charles, the newly elected General Secretary of the party and accused him of desecrating the colours of the party.
The retired politician called THE NEW TODAY to express abhorrence with Charles for indicating at a public meeting of the party last week that he decided to put aside the colours of the party and to dress in a black-looking top in accordance with the wishes of some persons who are refusing to attend meetings of the party if they have to dress in the traditional green.
Charles also told the gathering in a rural village that he spoke with the political leader, former Education Minister Emmalin Pierre on the issue and she also agreed to attend the meeting dressed not in the official colours of the NNP.
According to the retired senior NNP figure, a political party in any part of the world must have a uniform and a logo “and nobody can’t just come and change that.”
“That is a matter for the party and the party Convention and the party general membership. Nobody can’t promote the party change (of colour) on their own – that is desecration – they cannot promote that on their own – it has to be by the Convention and the General Council.,” he said.
The ex-senior politician in the NNP noted that the party’s logo and colour in particular have to be registered in the name of the party.
“A General Secretary who has just come to the party can’t be promoting desecration of the party as he is the one to organise the party, promote the party membership around it (the colours) and to promote the party’s name, its colours and the party mission – nothing short of that,” he said.
The former high-ranking member of the NNP reminded Charles that his predecessor in office, Roland Bhola, the former Minister of Agriculture always adorned the party’s colours at public meetings of the NNP.
He warned that no individual and even the membership of the party should be seen supporting Charles’ position.
This is seen as an attack on Political Leader Emmalin Pierre who like Charles showed up at the meeting not wearing the NNP traditional green.
Noting that a party is made up of members, supporters and well-wishers, the ex-NNP executive stated that if supporters and well-wishers do not want to wear the colour nothing can be done about that “but you can’t be a member and don’t want to wear the colour.”.
He pointed out that Charles as the General Secretary “of all person is the one to promote that (wearing the colour) more than anyone else.”
“This is one of the major pillars for the organisation and mobilisation of the party – the colour and logo. That is the Number One role of the General Secretary so it means that the guy (Charles) doesn’t know his job. Whoever promoting that doesn’t know their job,” he said.
“Here is a guy who end up as General Secretary of the party and he doesn’t know his role. He cannot suggest that to the Leader. Anybody raise that with you want to undermine the party. Anybody challenge that you’re in trouble,” he added.
According to the former NNP Executive member, Charles as General Secretary should chase away anyone who suggested to him that they will never attend a meeting of the NNP decorated in the color green.
He feared that if Charles and a few others of his friends came up with another nice-looking colour to attract people to NNP, they might even attempt to get the party to move away from its traditional Green to another colour of their choice.
He said it is quite clear to him that Charles has no knowledge about the history of politics, far less party politics and party development.
The Keith Mitchell-led NNP has been the most successful political party in the country with electoral victories in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2013 and 2018.