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Informing The Uninformed....
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PRESS STATEMENT BY
GLENTIS GOODWIN
INTERIM CHAIRMAN OF THE OND,ON ANNOUNCING THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE OND FROM THE UPCOMING POLITICAL RACE
The OND has come to a critical
crossroad in its one short year of existence. We are proud of the strides we
have made so far and of the number and quality of people we have attracted at
all levels of the population. We are pleased with the clarity and relevance of
our message and the attention and approval that our platform has engendered
among those who simply want good governance.
We have set ourselves some stiff
objectives, some of which we have achieved, while others have been met with
serious challenges and obstacles that have served to slow our pace of achieving
them. Some of these restrictions
include, but are not limited to, the unreasonable demands placed on civil
servants who are desirous of entering politics; family and other societal
pressures; finance; personal academic self development; the uncertainty of
finding suitable alternative employment in our small society; and, of course,
the constitutional requirement for undivided national loyalty with respect to
our parliamentarians.
Many of our potential candidates
-- at least three of them female -- quite understandably have found themselves
in unenviable circumstances, affected by one or more of the above. They have
been advised not to undertake the risk of standing in the elections or even
trying to raise the effort required at this time.
Even so, the OND has further
evaluated its option of making even a nominal appearance in the upcoming
election, with four or five capable and willing candidates. Given the
current political landscape, the time factor, the intensified contest for public
opinion, and, above all, the financial disadvantage when compared with other
parties, we have come to the conclusion and collective decision that the most
prudent course of action for the OND at this time is to withdraw from contesting
for political office and concentrate our efforts instead on building the
organization for the future.
We have come to this decision
knowing that we would have disappointed at least a few thousand people. We ask
for their patience and understanding. We, too, are disappointed, and assure you
that we are in this arena for the long haul. We have been and are extremely
appreciative of your support and encouragement for which we say thanks.
Our vision was and remains “to
develop an organization that is designed to harness and develop the material and
human resource potential of Antigua and Barbuda and to create a productive and
profitable public enterprise that will enable the continuous cultural, social,
spiritual and economic development of its many citizens.”
Our mission was and remains to
position our organization as a capable, credible and trustworthy alternative for
governance. Our Motto was and remains “Principles, not men”
Our position on several
important issues and matters are well documented, if not well known. They range
from the disposal of the people’s assets – public lands – to our policy on
local and foreign investment; to the composition of Parliament vis a vis the
Cabinet; to divided Parliamentarian loyalty between Antigua/Barbuda and a
foreign power; to work permits and Caribbean immigration; to education and
fiscal balance; to corruption and to truth and reconciliation. …
To our current supporters and to the undecided voters, we say, please don’t give up, for we will not give up. Don’t lose hope, for we will not lose hope. … For OND, the future is bright.