Plans in motion to take matter to court
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SEVERAL taxi operators affiliated with the Liamuiga Taxi Association are up in arms over recent treatment meted out to them by the current executive members, whom they deemed to be illegal.
At the center of the controversy is the way the operators were treated at the recently held Annual General Meeting (AGM), where some of them were barred from entering the building within which it was kept, because their dues were not updated, which is reportedly a breach of the Association’s Constitution.
But one member of that body is pushing back, claiming that the executives have been poor in their management and unfair in barring members from the meeting.
Andrew ‘Talbo’ Bass has contended that since some members had breached a section of the Constitution, it is unfair to penalize them when the executives are guilty of doing the same.
“So, if you are going to deal with the Constitution, how can you penalize the members for one section and the other six sections which the executives breached must go down without any kind of penalty?”
Forty-five members were barred from entering the meeting and police were called in to keep and maintain order.
Bass opined that there was no need for the police to be summoned to a meeting of taxi members.
“What happened is that for months some members have been trying to pay subscription fee and the treasurer have been telling them that the president instructed him not to collect monies from them. So, for months members have been trying to pay and they have been refusing their money. So, last night (Tuesday) members showed up to the meeting and there was a police officer at the door, barring the door saying that they cannot enter unless their names were on a list.
“I find it as being real dictatorship style to prevent over 45 members and denying them of exercising their rights, their democratic rights which is to vote.”
In further explanation to the claim of constitutional breach by some members, Bass pointed to a statement the president had made, indicating that the Constitution says “if a member does not pay a subscription fee for a period of three months the member is un-financial”.
Based on that contention, the members were barred from entering the meeting and only those whose names were on a list were allowed to enter.
However, Bass disclosed that it was a norm where members would be un-financial from time to time, but they would eventually go and pay their dues at meetings.
“Even on the nights of the meeting, members would come and say how much I owe and they would pay it. They are now holding that against members.”
SKNVibes was told the Constitution states that executive members should retire annually. However, Bass noted that the current executives were installed on November 12, 2015, which means that that body is in breach of the Constitution since last year.
Bass, who is a former president of the Association, claimed that a meeting was not called until Tuesday (May 23).
“The Constitutions says that the executives should produce audited accounts annually, which is every year. We have not had audited accounts for three years. The same Constitution says that we should have a general meeting at least once per quarter, but we have not had a general meeting for over a year and a half.
“The Constitution says if members have [a problem] with the Association, then 13 members can write a letter requesting a meeting, give it to the president, where the president will then instruct the secretary to set up the meeting. Eighteen members signed the document requesting a meeting, handed it to the secretary, gave one to the vice president, gave one to the president and the president refuse to take his. So, all those are breaches of the Constitution.”
With a large number of persons not being able to vote, Bass stated that as far as he is concerned, the executive body in null and void even though elections were recently held.
According to Bass, all members ran unopposed with David ‘Flames’ Brandy returning as president – since all persons up for elections were barred from the meeting.
Members of the Association are currently engaging lawyers to move to the court for an injunction barring the executives from making any decisions.
