Monday, December 14, 2009
More on that defection
There is a very lengthy letter in this morning's Western Mail from a member of the Joint Committee for Ethnic Minorities in Wales decrying the defection of Mohammed Ashgar from Plaid Cymru to the Tories.
Tunji Fahm argues that Plaid Cymru have worked very hard to maintain links with the minority ethnic community and that the election of Mohammed Ashgar as an AM was the culmination of this work, however he is not enamoured of criticism of Oscar as an individual:
To describe him as unprincipled in the absence of any credible evidence by the chief executive of AWMEA is both irrational and unhelpful.
However, the explanation provided so far by Mohammad Asghar for his action is unsatisfactory. He contested the last election on a Plaid Cymru manifesto which set out in both historical and contemporary terms the objectives of the party including its future agenda for the WAG.
Some newspapers have reported the preparation of a putsch which would result in the removal of Mohammad Asghar and his replacement by Mr Adam Price MP.
Both Mr Asghar and Plaid Cymru should publicly confirm or deny the authenticity of this story for a proper appraisal of the action of Mr Asghar, particularly in the light of your report that neither the leadership of Plaid in the Assembly nor his personal staff at the Assembly were aware of his intention to defect to the Conservatives.
He owes the whole of Wales an explanation – rational and intelligible – for his cataclysmic decision to disturb the political equilibrium of an Assembly which may soon be involved in a referendum the result of which would determine the economic, political and social life in Wales for many years to come.
Whereas I would not argue with the thrust of the letter that an explanation should be forthcoming I cannot get a nagging doubt out of my mind about some of the reaction to this defection. That doubt can be summed up in one question: why should an ethnic minority politician be expected to act differently or to have different standards to any other politician?
Tunji Fahm argues that Plaid Cymru have worked very hard to maintain links with the minority ethnic community and that the election of Mohammed Ashgar as an AM was the culmination of this work, however he is not enamoured of criticism of Oscar as an individual:
To describe him as unprincipled in the absence of any credible evidence by the chief executive of AWMEA is both irrational and unhelpful.
However, the explanation provided so far by Mohammad Asghar for his action is unsatisfactory. He contested the last election on a Plaid Cymru manifesto which set out in both historical and contemporary terms the objectives of the party including its future agenda for the WAG.
Some newspapers have reported the preparation of a putsch which would result in the removal of Mohammad Asghar and his replacement by Mr Adam Price MP.
Both Mr Asghar and Plaid Cymru should publicly confirm or deny the authenticity of this story for a proper appraisal of the action of Mr Asghar, particularly in the light of your report that neither the leadership of Plaid in the Assembly nor his personal staff at the Assembly were aware of his intention to defect to the Conservatives.
He owes the whole of Wales an explanation – rational and intelligible – for his cataclysmic decision to disturb the political equilibrium of an Assembly which may soon be involved in a referendum the result of which would determine the economic, political and social life in Wales for many years to come.
Whereas I would not argue with the thrust of the letter that an explanation should be forthcoming I cannot get a nagging doubt out of my mind about some of the reaction to this defection. That doubt can be summed up in one question: why should an ethnic minority politician be expected to act differently or to have different standards to any other politician?
Comments:
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Surely if "Oscar" resigned honoourably altogether from the Assembly (which is not the sort of thing politicians ever do)- then the next person on the Plaid Cymru original list vote would get his seat and not that slippery opportunist Adam Price with his parachute packed. It is complicated for us out here. Can you Peter, or persuade some journalist other than Marvin Skiptown to explain all the Assembly electoral rules to us lay people.Anyway the bottom line is that Plaid Cymru were so naive in picking him in haste (in reverse racism show off) to be able to say to the rest of the parties "Ho, ho, ho, we have an Ethnic and you don't!"
# posted by 
: 12:20 PM
: 12:20 PM
The reference to "putsch" and his supposed replacement by Adam Price is, I believe, a reference to the selections for the list for the next elections in 2012, not an immediate "putsch". The latter would result in the next person on the Plaid list stepping into the vacant seat.
All academic 'cos it's not going to happen
"Plaid Cymru were so naive in picking him in haste (in reverse racism show off) to be able to say to the rest of the parties "Ho, ho, ho, we have an Ethnic and you don't!""
I think this is unfair both to Plaid and to Mohammed Ashgar in that it suggests that he is "an ethnic" as you put it and nothing more. He was selected second on the list when second by no means guaranteed a seat and by a party who have been willing to lay down selection rules guaranteeing women at the top of lists. If they were that keen to ensure the selection of "an ethnic" then they would surely by the same token have set out rules that ensured that also.
All academic 'cos it's not going to happen
"Plaid Cymru were so naive in picking him in haste (in reverse racism show off) to be able to say to the rest of the parties "Ho, ho, ho, we have an Ethnic and you don't!""
I think this is unfair both to Plaid and to Mohammed Ashgar in that it suggests that he is "an ethnic" as you put it and nothing more. He was selected second on the list when second by no means guaranteed a seat and by a party who have been willing to lay down selection rules guaranteeing women at the top of lists. If they were that keen to ensure the selection of "an ethnic" then they would surely by the same token have set out rules that ensured that also.
# posted by : 1:09 PM
: 1:09 PM
And thats why so much of our politicians cannot hold down a mistrial job, they have been picked for the colour or religion, sex and not for what they can do.
we all know this gent was angry his daughter could not be given a job, so i think giving family members jobs are totally wrong, talk about one sided.
we all know this gent was angry his daughter could not be given a job, so i think giving family members jobs are totally wrong, talk about one sided.
# posted by : 1:26 PM
: 1:26 PM
"And thats why so much of our politicians cannot hold down a mistrial job, they have been picked for the colour or religion, sex and not for what they can do."
Gwenda Thomas is hardly a "looker" but has held on to her Deputy Ministerial role on the basis that she's actually very effective and popular.
Incidentally your comment should have read "how MANY" not "how much". Educaional standards are slipping.
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Gwenda Thomas is hardly a "looker" but has held on to her Deputy Ministerial role on the basis that she's actually very effective and popular.
Incidentally your comment should have read "how MANY" not "how much". Educaional standards are slipping.
# posted by : 10:45 AM
: 10:45 AM<< Home
