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Dosanjh faces some serious flak

J M Shenoy

The gloves are off as the New Democratic Party gets ready to meet from February 18 to 20 to elect the new premier of British Columbia.

The front-runner and current attorney-general, Ujjal Dosanjh, has come in for increasing criticism in recent weeks.

Supporters of Education Minister Gordon Wilson, who is also a NDP leadership candidate, have said that "instant members" of the NDP would not allow one of Wilson's backers to speak at a recent NDP event.

'Instant members' is the term used to describe Dosanjh's Sikh supporters drafted into the party a few months ago. Cabinet Minister Moe Sihota, who is also a Sikh, has blamed Dosanjh for drafting the Sikhs. Sihota is backing Gordon Wilson.

Dosanjh reportedly brought in about 10,000 members, derided by his opponents as one-dollar members. Despite Sihota's persistent demand that the newcomers not be allowed to vote, they are participating in Dosanjh's campaign.

This week Wilson attacked what he called ballot problems associated with Dosanjh's campaign.

"If this is allowed to continue and if the process simply degenerates down to who can put the most people in a room on any given night to elect delegates to go and anoint some leader, then I think the party is in some serious trouble," he said.

Wilson, the former Liberal leader, joined the NDP in January 1999. He is believed to be third in the four-candidate leadership race. Agriculture Minister Corky Evans is believed to be in second place, and former union leader Len Werden in fourth.

Fisheries Minister Dennis Streifel, who is backing Wilson, complained about "strong-arm tactics at party nomination meetings".

The Dosanjh camp was so dominant at a delegate selection meeting in Streifel's Fraser Valley district that Streifel was denied an opportunity to speak.

"I found the meeting quite repugnant, frankly, with those kind of tactics, and I decided after that not to stay silent any longer," Streifel told reporters.

He asked Dosanjh to keep delegate selection meetings "open and fair".

"We have to be able to hear all voices in this party if we are going to be able to heal and renew," Streifel said.

Dosanjh issued a news release calling on everyone in the leadership campaign to conduct themselves with dignity and respect for others.

"It is understandable that people who lose in delegate selection meetings feel hurt, but I hope they will think of the greater purpose for our movement and work for the common cause," he said.

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