Delroy Chuck accuses Andrew Holness of 'squeezing' him out of JLP's legal team
Published:Monday | March 9, 2015 | 5:41 PMGary Spaulding
Veteran Opposition member Delroy Chuck has acknowledged that his uncharacteristic outburst at leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Andrew Holness, has been sparked by anger and disappointment.
But as infuriated as Chuck admitted that he is, he has vowed to remain a member of the JLP.
A lawyer by profession, Chuck told The Gleaner that he never asked to be the spokesman for justice or attorney general.
However, he complained that he was squeezed out of the legal team assembled for the constitutional appeal filed by Holness.
"I was upset that the party has put together a team of attorneys to advise them on the constitutional issue and never saw it fit to even ask me for my advice," said Chuck.
He added: "I did not ask to be the justice spokesperson and legal affairs, but when a matter that affects the party surfaces, they don't see the need to even ask me for my advice."
Hiring Dabdoub absurd
Chuck said the absurdity of Holness' decision was highlighted by the engagement of noted attorney Abe Dabdoub, who has matters against current members of the JLP pending in court.
"I am not against the professional standing of Mr Dabdoub, but he has matters against Shahine Robinson and against Daryl Vaz, both of whom represented the JLP in elections," said Chuck.
When The Gleaner asked Chuck to what he attributed to being squeezed out, he chuckled: "Perhaps it is a lack of confidence in me ... . I never want to serve but I was invited to come and serve at a time."
With the JLP in turmoil since Holness filed an appeal to challenge the ruling of the Constitutional Court that he was wrong in using undated, pre-signed letter to oust senators Arthur Williams and Christopher Tufton, Chuck charged that all of this has come with poor advice.
"You don't even check it with the party, you just proceed, and you find that it has put the party into disrepute,"said Chuck. "No doubt they will accuse me of bringing the party into disrepute by going to the public."
He told The Gleaner that the only time he met with Holness before the case was adjudicated, he urged him to settle the matter with the two men instead of allowing it to go to the court.
"I told him that even if he won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, because it would cause great hurt to him and the party, but, obviously, he had [better] advice that he would win the case," Chuck quipped.