Seaga
Omar Anderson, Gleaner Writer
EDWARD SEAGA, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader who, up to late last week, had withdrawn from active duties in the party, declared yesterday he might be forced to pull the party from the political quagmire in which it now finds itself.
Following the announcement in June of his intention to resign after this year's annual conference, the stage was set for a leadership fight between party Chairman Bruce Golding and Member of Parliament Pearnel Charles.
However, Mr. Charles on Wednesday succeeded in getting a seven-day court injunction in the Supreme Court resulting in the cancellation of yesterday's leadership election.
"I am the de facto leader," the 74-year-old Seaga told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday, "and it might very well happen that I will have to steady the ship, as I'm in for a longer time than I thought I would be, due to the cancellation of the conference."
MEASURES TO BRING STABILITY
He added that measures to bring stability to the party will be discussed with the leaders and contenders. Mr. Seaga quickly pointed out however, that he has no ambition to further lead the JLP whenever a new date for the election of a leader is set.
"Whatever I can do within the period I will do, but nothing more," he emphasised.
Before now, Mr. Seaga had assumed passive leadership of the JLP. At a recent Standing Committee meeting, he reportedly refused a request from a senior party official to intervene in the ongoing squabble.
Mr. Seaga, who has been JLP leader for 30 years, told The Sunday Gleaner several weeks ago that he was leaving the daily running of the party to the new administration. This was an indirect reference to Mr. Golding and the so-called 'reformists' whose pressure allegedly forced Mr. Seaga to announce his intention to quit after what should have been yesterday's election.
In a letter to Mr. Golding in July, shortly after his announced departure, Mr. Seaga criticised the chairman for allowing indiscipline to fester among the younger officers. He also dismissed Mr. Golding as an ineffective leader.
Meanwhile, between Thursday and Friday, attorneys-at-law Patrick Atkinson and Clive Mullings who are representing Mr. Golding and General Secretary Karl Samuda, who along with Mr. Seaga, were named defendants in the injunction, tried unsuccessfully to have it overturned.
Mr. Charles filed for the injunction on the basis that some 2,000 delegates on the JLP list that should have been used in yesterday's election, were illegally added.
In the meantime, both senior JLP officers and grass roots supporters are blaming Mr. Seaga for allowing the JLP squabble to balloon, largely because of what they say is his inaction and his quiet backing of the Charles campaign. They argue that the court action 'was the face of Charles but the hand of Seaga'.
But Mr. Seaga yesterday denied he had any involvement in Mr. Charles filing the court action.
"Mr. Charles is quite capable of being the 'hand and face', he is quite capable of acting fully on this matter, without any intervention from me," he rebutted. "What has transpired is as a result of how Mr. Charles feels."
RESPONDING ON HIS OWN
Due to the court action, Mr. Seaga has written the Supreme Court indicating that he will be responding on his own to the injunction granted Mr. Charles. It has also been reported that Mr. Seaga did not sign court documents JLP lawyers tried to file on Thursday to lift the injunction, preventing yesterday's leadership election. Yesterday, he also refused to state the line of argument his lawyers will take on Wednesday when the matter is expected to be heard.
Meanwhile, sources argue that Mr. Seaga's decision to resume active duties in the party feeds the perception that he alone can lead the JLP, especially during crises.
