The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THIRTY-FIVE candidates have submitted nomination papers for the 15 positions on the executive committee of the Bahamas Union of Teachers, BUT secretary general Stephen Mcphee confirmed.

Mr Mcphee said at the close of nominations for the June 11 national and district elections, all positions in the union are being contested.

“The presidency is being contested by two candidates, the incumbent Belinda Wilson and Stephen Mcphee. The highest number of candidates contesting any position is seven – executive member – and all 15 executive positions are being challenged,” he said.

“In accordance with rule 9 of the constitution, I provided training for the members of the candidates committee on April 3 and delivered the complete batch of nomination papers to them on April 4. The candidates committee has began its examination of the nomination papers and has until April 15 to submit the approved list of candidates to the secretary general.

“The secretary general is then duty bound to place only the names of the approved list on the ballot for elections.”

Mr Mcphee said any candidate who is not approved has until April 30 to appeal the decision.

However, Mr Mcphee said, the executive committee meeting on April 4 ended abruptly when he and some other officers walked out, as there was no quorum to legally continue the meeting.

“I led the walk-out in protest of the fact that the meeting was unconstitutional and at least three sitting executive officers where not members in good standing as the records showed they were not financial. Two officers paid no dues for four months and one paid no dues from June 2011 to the present,” he said.

“This constitutes a fundamental breach of the rules and cannot be tolerated. Being a member in good standing is a prerequisite for holding office in this union, therefore no teacher who does not pay membership dues for a period of three consecutive months has a right to sit on the executive committee of the Bahamas Union of Teachers.”