"I will make a determination about my political future because I am not going to be a hypocrite," said Dr David Estwick.

by DONNA SEALY

DEPUTY LEADER of the Opposition, Dr David Estwick, will be taking a "long and hard" look at his relationship with the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

He said at his Wildey office yesterday afternoon, that he will not be party to the "illegal" November 19 extraordinary conference that will "start the unravelling" of the party.

"I don't know if I can stay around a party that disrespects itself, its constitution and disregard the integrity of processes for whatever purposes.

"I am not going to prostitute myself. If I am going to fight down to the end to make my party respect its constitution and its traditions, if the DLP refuses to respect its constitution and its traditions, I will make a determination about my political future, because I am not going to be a hypocrite ...," Estwick said.

But he stopped short of saying he would resign from the party, or as MP for St Philip West.

Asked if he was prepared to fight the decision in court, the MP said that he was going to defend the party's integrity "whatever the outcome".

He also said that "right-thinking members" of the party had to "entertain" taking legal action as "to whether it [conference] should be stopped before it comes into existence".

Estwick said he was "not prepared to accept some of the mouthings" reported in the SATURDAY SUN, by four committee members.

They said on Friday they did not understand the fuss about the conference and chairman Ronald Jones said there were "too many persons who wanted to subvert the process" by speaking "unrealistically and out of turn".

Estwick's response to this was that he was not in "a classroom" and that their comments were "unprofessional".

"They can call me what they want, I don't care. As a former general secretary of the DLP and this party's deputy leader of Opposition, I have a responsibility
to defend the constitution of the party.

"I am a politician who respects the Constitution of Barbados and the constitution of my party. I will not entertain organised disrespect of my party's constitution. I will defend the party's integrity for as long as I can.

"I may become a lonely voice, but I will not be deterred because evil succeeds where good men cower in silence," he said.

Estwick added: "There are some members who would want me to keep my mouth shut and discuss these matters in the councils of the party. Some are even spreading rumours that I want to break up the party, but I want it placed on record that what I am trying to do is to protect the party from a misguided few and to protect that misguided group from themselves."