Skelton-Cline says change has come to the 2nd District, takes swipe at VIP representative
Alex Holder - BVI News Staff Reporter - Monday, July 18th, 2011 at 8:28 AM
Claude Skelton-Cline
The new National Democratic Party (NDP) 2nd District candidate Claude Skelton-Cline shows clear signs of delivering decisive and frank discourse about not only the state of the BVI but also the individuals tasked with its representation.
Speaking at the NDP’s official campaign launch on Saturday, Skelton-Cline called out the current 2nd District representative, telling him if his hands are tied he should “get out the ring” and allow someone whose hands are free to step in and work for the people in the district.
“We have got to get rid of the representative,” he said. “I ain’t scared of nothing.”
An ordained preacher, Skelton-Cline declared to scores of NDP supporters with an echo to those who support the sitting government that “change has come to the second district.”
He admitted that he needs more than the small number of NDP supporters in the district to win the job of district representative and therefore he is on a mission to tap into the VIP support base with facts of wrongdoing and neglect from the current representation.
“In the second district we do not have a party problem. We have a representative problem,” he said.
“The representative now sits on a government with a mandate of 11 to two and even with the VIP government he has not been able to bring home the bacon. He has not been able to bring home the goods. He has offered us excuses… And even while he was with the National Democratic Party, he still was not able to bring home the bacon…”
“So I want to say to the good people in the second district, whether you are VIP of NDP or independent, that we don’t have a party problem, we have a representative problem,” he said.
To thunderous applause and cheers of support, Skelton-Cline went on to question his NDP colleagues’ stance on the subject before proceeding.
They nodded their support.
He reminded them that the same representative ran on an NDP slate some time ago and has since been a rolling stone having lost the confidence of his party colleagues in the VIP to hold a ministerial post and has been “sentenced to a backbencher’s position,” ever since.
“He has been VIP. He has been NDP. Went back to VIP. He started out as an independent… And nobody, except some close friends and family, have reaped any benefits…” he said.
Furthermore, Skelton-Cline reminded gathering that the lives of the people in that district and by extension the BVI are “too important” for him to be afraid to call out the current representative on his repeated blunders.
With that he stated that the “gig” is up for the current District 2 representative.
“It does matter whether he runs in a party or independent. Right now he is checkmate.”
In the past twelve years, he said the district has gone without ministerial representation and it could not afford to go another four years without it.
Skelton-Cline said the people of the BVI do not have the luxury of the divisiveness of that the party system has brought to the country.
The hopeful candidate reminded the people “it is not us against them,” since the “them” can often times not clearly be identified.
He spoke of party politics and the need for change in the mindsets of the BVIslander, noting that the challenges in the BVI are bigger than politics and the lives of the people and the future of the territory stretch beyond party.
“I believe in the shared vision of the new NDP. I believe in the core philosophy of the new NDP. I believe in the core convictions of the new NDP… We must rise above party politics and serve our country.”
Pastor Cline said he believes the district is at a crossroad and he possesses the skills “that will help us to cross the road.”
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hunmmmmm! i dont like this!
pastor cline you joined ndp? i think you barking up the wrong tree….alvin gone again!!! you should’ve stayed independent and get some vip votes but you blow your chances now
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