Green Party reverses decision to remove Palestinian rights defender from leadership race
Photo Credit: (CJPME / Google Images)
Written by: Aidan Jonah
Today, the Green Party of Canada reversed its decision to remove fierce class action lawyer, Dimitri Lascaris, from the party’s leadership race. The party announced this in a statement released on the party’s website.
“The Green Party of Canada announced today that it has reversed the decision to exclude Dimitri Lascaris from the party’s leadership contest.
The Leadership Contest Committee heard Mr. Lascaris’s appeal and is satisfied with his response to the concerns raised by the vetting committee,” said Green Party Interim Leader Jo-Ann Roberts. We commend the committee for its meticulous work in bringing those issues to our attention.
‘In a grassroots party dedicated to democratic principles, it was agreed this decision should be entrusted to our members when they vote for a new leader in October.”
He was previously excluded from the race by the Leadership Contest Committee without any reasons being publicly given. As a result, public pressure undoubtedly played a role in the reversal of this decision.
At the time, Mohammed Abdullah, a TCF contributor wrote of his devastation when he heard this news. His poignant words still ring true:
“I, as a Palestinian, have been told for too long that my support for Palestine will destroy my future. That I need to keep quiet, while Zionists are “unapologetically” bringing colonial Israeli soldiers to our universities and expressing themselves freely. Why is it that Canadian supporters of Palestinian rights are always shut down? Where is the justice?
Mr. Lascaris, throughout his race, has given me the strength to speak out against Israel’s human rights abuses. I know now that I can support Palestinian human rights and maybe one day, run for a federal party in Canada. This shameful decision by the Greens will only motivate me further to advance the Palestinian cause. It is only a matter of time before the tides change and Palestinian voices are heard loud and clear in Canadian politics. Justice is on our side.”
The likelihood of other underhanded tactics being used against Lascaris is high. The Green Party originally established a $50,000 entry fee to join the leadership race, likely to push away the leftist candidates more reliant on small donors. This was only reduced to $30,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As an eco-socialist, he stands in contrast to the recently adopted slogan of “not left, not right, but forward”. He will continue to face farcical allegations of anti-semitism, just as we learned through the experiences of both Bernie Sanders 2020 primary run, and Jeremy Corbyn’s time as Labour leader.
However, Lascaris has won this battle. He will be able to run for the leadership of the Green Party, and can now put the focus onto online campaigning.
Editor’s note: For those who wish to vote for Dimitri Lascaris in the Green Party leadership race, they must buy or renew their membership by September 3, 2020.
Update: Dimitri Lascaris’ campaign has released a statement about the reversal of his exclusion from the race.
More Articles