UWP Falling Apart

The opposition United Workers Party (UWP) is falling apart. Call them United We Plunge.

The internal division which surfaced following this year’s general election defeat was widened, with Julian Prevost, the opposition senator and former Mahaut MP, resigning in disgust over the current leadership battle.

For years, insiders have told The Sun that the image of unity which the party presented to the public was a façade. Many thought that Edison James, the party leader, had taken the UWP as far as he could and that he should quit.

However, leading party members put on a show of unity as they tried to gain the public trust, particularly after the 2000 election defeat, several sources said.

“One of the reasons (it appeared united) is because Julius (Timothy, the deputy leader) took a lot of s**t,” Prevost told The Sun in an interview. “He never challenged Edison. The unity presented to the public was predicated on Julius…”

But with James having been forced to stand down (he will give up the leadership on December 11) and with a battle on between Timothy, the deputy leader for the past 17 years, and Earl Williams, the former communications minister, all hell has broken loose and the party secrets, once kept bolted within its ranks, are beginning to come out.

“Edison did a lot of things,” Prevost said, when pressed for details. “When a man can call an election (the 2000 general election which the UWP lost after one term in government) without consulting with party members…when a report into the police inquiry comes out and I ask to see it and the man says I cannot see it because I am not a member of the cabinet, in the meantime Tony (attorney Anthony Astaphan) has a copy and is defending the officers…but you have to hush in the interest on unity.”

Prevost is peeved that Williams edged Timothy in the race to replace James, complaining that there was a conspiracy between Williams and James to keep Timothy out and to ensure James held on to power.

“There is a clear agreement between Earl and Edison where Edison is telling Earl ‘I will use my influence to make you political leader if you offer me opposition leader,’” Prevost claimed.

“Edison doesn’t want to relinquish power, Edison doesn’t want to be sidelined so he reaches a hanky panky with Earl so he can hang on to power…the dark side of Edison is hanging over the party,” the lawyer told The Sun.

Similar sentiments were shared by another senior party member and Timothy supporter, who said James was doing to the UWP the same thing the late Dame Eugenia Charles did to the Dominica Freedom Party.

“What is happening here is the reincarnation of Eugenia Charles… the machinations that is going on behind the scene, the Mamo thing, ‘it is my thing and if I can’t have it, you can’t have it,” the source explained.

“He is playing another card too,” said the source who spoke on condition that he would not be named. “The card is (James wants to suggest) ‘there is too much confusion (the fight between Williams and Timothy) just leave me there.’ I have heard one Edison supporter say ‘just leave him there (to avoid the confusion).’ ”

“One way or the other he still wants to hold on. It has strained the party so much that supporters are saying when elections comes they will not vote.”

Just how James managed to convince constituency representatives to choose Williams ahead of Timothy, Prevost would not give specific examples, telling The Sun that as a lawyer he would not disclose certain information.

But he did hint at certain actions that were taken and the source made some allegations that cannot be published.

Both men said they thought that Timothy was the best man to lead the party, suggesting that he could rally voters from different parties and of different age groups behind him.

“Earl cannot lead me,” Prevost stated. “It’s a circus. If Timothy is not the leader I will never run for the UWP again.”

Asked if the party can survive this acrimonious split, Prevost said he didn’t know.

Williams would not comment on Prevost’s claims or resignation, telling the Sun he was no the party leader, and referring us to James, who said nothing.

But Prevost would have the final word, exclaiming: “Politics has turned man into beasts and we don't want to leave it. God damn it, we have to learn when to quit."