Basseterre, Tuesday, 2nd May, 2023, (My Vue News.com)-The Nevis Reformation Party, (NRP), has finally taken decisive action against its former Deputy Leader, Cleone Stapleton-Simmonds, ending a five-month standoff between the top leadership.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, 2nd May, 2023, the Party, confirmed that “The NRP’s Executive Committee, acting on the advice of the Disciplinary Committee, has moved to expel the Honourable Cleone Stapleton-Simmonds from all institutions of the NRP.”
This means that Stapleton-Simmonds would no longer represent the NRP in the local island Assembly, nor would she continue to serve as its Deputy Leader and a member of the Party or any of its organs.
In its media release, the NRP also stated that “The decision came as a result of Stapleton-Simmonds’ failure to comply with the decision of the Executive Committee for her to support the Honourable Dr. Janice Daniel-Hodge, Leader of the Nevis Reformation Party, as Leader of the Opposition in the Nevis Island Assembly.”
With the NRP’s annual convention scheduled for later this month, (May), it is now very likely that the organization will also begin rolling out a new candidate who could stand in the next local elections, scheduled for 2027.
This latest move by the Disciplinary Committee ends the internal turmoil that had plagued the NRP, since the poll of December, 2022.
As a condition of support for Daniel-Hodge to become Opposition Leader, Stapleton-Simmonds demanded that she be allowed to make input into the selection of an opposition senator.
However, no consensus was ever reached, and the relationship deteriorated, ending today with a dismissal.