Articles Menu
With eye on the Liberal opposition, Eby makes plea for party unity
22/10/22
Link:
Oct. 21, 2022
Disgruntled Appadurai supporters gear up to take control of NDP, riding by riding.
VICTORIA — Premier-designate David Eby wrote to NDP members this week in an effort to patch things up with Anjali Appadurai supporters after her ouster as a candidate for the party leadership.
“I saw Anjali bring passion and energy to the conversation about the critical and interconnected challenges facing B.C., and in particular to the issues of climate change and environmental sustainability,” wrote Eby in a Thursday missive to “my fellow New Democrats.”
“She also brought many British Columbians to our party, some for the first time — maybe you are one of these new members.
“No matter who you intended to support, for many of you, news of her disqualification will be saddening. And I know this will be particularly hard for those of you who joined specifically to support Anjali.”
Never mind that the Eby campaign has filed challenges to hundreds of those new memberships and provided evidence that contributed to Appadurai being disqualified by the NDP executive.
Eby repeated the pitch at a news conference Thursday, telling reporters his priority was “reaching out to those members who signed up for Anjali, to recognize the work that she did in engaging them.”
He praised Appadurai as “a person who’s enthusiastic, got a lot of energy, got a lot of people engaged in the party. I want those folks to stay engaged. I want that conversation to continue.”
Later he suggested that Appadurai would make a good provincial MLA.
Appadurai did run for the federal party last year and came close to winning a seat in Vancouver.
But it was odd hearing that testimonial from the new leader of the provincial party just after the B.C. NDP disallowed Appadurai’s candidacy after a report that trashed her credibility and integrity.
There is no mystery why Eby is preaching party unity after his campaign team participated in the backroom effort that disqualified Appadurai and embittered her supporters.
“There will be two clear paths ahead — and only one that puts people and sustainability at the centre, instead of the wealthy and the short-term schemers looking for ‘quick wins’,” wrote Eby in the letter, referring to the scandal that plagued the B.C. Liberals on the eve of the 2013 election.
“Kevin Falcon has shown us, again and again, that he doesn’t share our priorities. He wants to take us backwards and unravel so much of what we’ve accomplished. We can’t let that happen.”
Perhaps Eby was also fearing the mischief that could be done by disgruntled Appadurai acolytes who remain members of the NDP for now.
At week’s end, Ashley Zarbatany, an NDP activist and Appadurai supporter, circulated a list on social media of annual general meetings of NDP riding associations.
She urged Appadurai supporters to attend, vote and even run for positions on the local executive. “Especially provincial council delegate,” she added, referring to the NDP’s governing council.
“We’ve never had the numbers we have now,” she declared on her Twitter account.
“Rumour has it we doubled the party membership. With numbers like this we can easily run slates in every electoral district association and win. There’s a path forward.”
She also suggested that the “movement” — as she characterized the Appadurai-backing newcomers — should begin organizing to take control of local delegations attending the party convention set for November 2023.
“We have 13 months to organize for it, which is a perfect amount of time,” she wrote. “Also at convention we can vote for a leadership race. And if the leader is illegitimate, that is what we will have to do.”
Zarbatany, chair of the party’s standing committee on the economy and environment, was critical of the members of the party executive who voted to disqualify Appadurai.
“It was a kangaroo court,” she wrote. “I tried to fight for a fair process, but I was outvoted.”
She urged irate members to hang in and use their numbers to take control of the party.
“Remember they did this not to crush Anjali but to drive out all the new members because they are terrified of you,” she said, addressing Appadurai supporters.
“The most dangerous thing to the status quo is a membership that understands its power, stays and organizes for political change,” she wrote. “We will get you the tools to do so.”
For now, Appadurai is urging her supporters to do much the same.
“I don’t believe what happened is a reason to rip up your memberships,” she declared Thursday. “We’re just getting started.”
Offering a contrary view Thursday was Premier John Horgan, no fan of new members who joined the party for short term reasons.
He blasted instant New Democrats for engaging in “thuggery” when they heaped ridicule and abuse on the party executive.
He also predicted that “hurt feelings” over what happened to Appadurai “will pass” soon enough.
Eby had better hope Horgan is right.
Otherwise all those Appadurai supporters could exercise their voting power to take control of riding associations and even nominate candidates for the next election.
[Top photo: David Eby holds a news conference Friday after being named NDP leader to replace John Horgan. PHOTO BY JASON PAYNE /PNG]
