No way am I a ‘stooge candidate’!

I would like to make it quite clear that I am standing as my own man, whatever others may say.

I only allowed my name to go forward at the last minute because people said to me that a third candidate was needed with sufficient weight to offer a credible alternative to both Nick and Eddy.

It’s clear that there is dissatisfaction amongst the grass-roots about the way that the party has been managed. It’s also clear that both sides have been resorting backbiting and general negative comments that have damaged the Party’s morale.

I am essentially and primarily a nationalist, and I don’t hold with personal attacks on other nationalists. Because we are all fighting for and defending the same core set of values. So I am not going to lower the tone by replying specifically to negative comments that are being made about me. What I want to do is to emphasise the positive aspects and help the Party to move forward from there.

You, the membership are not stupid. You can see for yourself how the campaigns of the other candidates have been conducted and judge for yourselves. Yes, I think the way the Party has been managed needs looking into. But, ask yourself if it really is in the Party’s interest to wash the Party’s dirty linen in public quite to the extent it has been? Also the negative personal comments that have been made against me are unfair and unfounded and quite unworthy. However, for the sake of the Party unity, I shall leave it at that.

I have said that I am standing in order to be elected as a caretaker leader for one year. Apparently, Eddy Butler has also made a similar indication. If this his honest intention, I don’t quite see why he feels the need for a running mate? Why he is building up a support mechanism that appears to have been created for the purposes of wielding long term control? Why is he already offering key positions to his loyal supporters? It would seem to me that he is not quite what he seems! Maybe he is preparing to dig himself in for a long haul, surrounded by his own yes-men. By voting in Eddy, we will have ousted one Powerhead and simply replaced him with another!

If either Nick or Eddy are returned as leader, make no bones about it, there are going to be casualties. Members of the opposing camp will leave or fall away and others will be purged. The Party simply cannot afford to lose good nationalists. We have see sense and put our differences behind us. This is plain common sense and the only way to take the Party forward. Because what we rely on to make real progress is good morale and inspired leadership to encourage each and everyone to go that extra mile.

As I have said, I am the only candidate with the real ability and who is not motivated by mere personal ambition to both reform and unify the Party. Yes, we desperately need reform. But we also need to settle our differences. Our country’s future depends on it.