B.C. riding association blasts Martin

By DARREN YOURK
Globe and Mail Update

A Liberal riding association in British Columbia has accused Prime Minister
Paul Martin of denying voters their democratic right to vote for the
candidate they want to represent the party in the next election.

At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, the riding association for
Burnaby-Douglas said two Asian candidates interested in the nomination 
Tony Lee and Tony Kuo  have been completely ignored by the Prime Minister's
Office in favour of B.C. Liberal party president Bill Cunningham.

Riding president Ying Yang accused Mr. Martin of making the Liberal Party
"more closed and exclusive" and challenged him to immediately
call a fair and open candidate selection meeting.

"If you do not you must face the inevitable consequence that this
board and the entire riding of Burnaby-Douglas shall deem your conduct in
this matter discriminatory, race-based and undemocratic."

While no official announcement has been made, it is widely expected that
Mr. Martin will appoint Mr. Cunningham in the riding. The riding
association says the party's "green light" committee approved Mr.
Cunningham's bid to run in two weeks, while the other candidates have still
not heard, despite following the rules.

Liberal Party vice-president Michael Hillman told CBC Newsworld that the
nomination is not locked up.

"It is my understanding there will be three candidates  Bill
Cunningham being one person who has been approved by the green light
committee," Mr. Hillman said. "The other two are still before
that committee still having their backgrounds and other information
reviewed."

Mr. Yang said the Liberal executive in Burnaby Douglas have tried to be
patient, waiting for some answer to three sent three letters to the Prime
Minister on the situation. He said the executive has received numerous
complaints and concerns from party members about Mr. Lee and Mr. Kuo not
being approved to run.

"We can no longer stand on the sidelines while Mr. Cunningham makes a
mockery of the democratic process," he said. "Both before and
after you became the Prime Minister, you made many headlines by pledging to
revitalize the spirit of grassroots democracy within the Liberal Party of
Canada.

"We, as a board, unanimously accepted your promise in good faith.
However, at every instance since your accession to the prime ministership,
we have been made to feel like nothing more than second-class
citizens."

Burnaby-Douglas has been represented by NDP MP Svend Robinson since 1979.
Mr. Robinson has taken a medical leave from politics, however, and will not
run in the next election.

A visibly upset Mr. Kuo said the experience has made him feel like
"Tony Nobody."

"This is outrageous," Mr. Kuo said. "This is not the Canada,
the Liberal party that I knew, I know. This is not right."

"Please, give us a fair, open and democratic selection meeting.
Everybody should be welcome to participate."

Mr. Lee stopped short of accusing the Liberal Party of racism, saying
instead that the problem in the nomination process is the favourable
treatment being given to Mr. Cunningham.

"It's not a case of nomination contest on a level playing field,"
he said. "On that basis a lot of the supporters feel that we are being
discriminated [against]."

Mr. Hillman said Mr. Cunningham was likely approved quickly based on his
long Liberal history and familiarity to the party.

On April 1, Mr. Martin appointed former NDP premier Ujjal Dosanjh, an
Indo-Canadian, in the riding of Vancouver South.


--- GoldED/W32 3.0.1