After almost a month of uncertainty over who would lead the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union it appears that the organisation is one step closer to having a new leader now that one of the two candidates who was vying for that post has missed a key election runoff deadline.
It was just last month when incumbent president and leader of the Rainbow Team Pat Bain and presidential candidate for the Justice Team Roy Colebrooke came to a tie in the race for leader.
Election results indicated that the Justice Team won all of the other 11 posts that were being contested except that of general secretary which was won by incumbent Leo Douglas.
Speaking with the Bahama Journal yesterday, Labour and Immigration Minister Shane Gibson explained that both presidential candidates were expected to indicate by 4 oﾒclock Thursday afternoon whether they agreed to their names being placed on a ballot for a runoff for president.
He said, however, the incumbent candidate did not comply with that process.
“Roy Colebrooke wrote in confirming his intention to be part of the runoff, but Pat Bain did not so Iﾒm trying to contact him right now to see exactly what his position is,” Minister Gibson said.
“The next move is to the Ministry of Labour so we are consulting with the Office of the Attorney General now and as soon as we are through with the consultation process we would be making a determination.”
Mr. Gibson was not able to indicate when a decision is expected from the attorney generalﾒs office or when steps would be taken to finalise the selection process for the new leader.
The sole candidate to have agreed to his name being entered in a runoff, Mr. Colebrooke said Friday he was ready to take over as president of the hotel union.
“All I can say at this juncture is that all of us had a duty to submit (our indication of consent),” he said.
“I did my part. If he chose not to do his part then the message is very clear. Because I donﾒt think anybody has the right to hold up the business of the membership. That is so wrong.”
Mr. Colebrooke also stated that stalling tactics should not be tolerated.
By: Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
