As you are aware on April 28th, 2018, I Alexander Paul Baron was duly elected to the position of President of the National Youth Council by an overwhelming majority. As to date during my tenure as President of this prestigious and long-lasting institution, I have sought to strengthen and create strategic linkages for the benefit of Dominica’s Youth
Being a public figure has made me a subject of discussion in mainstream media. However true this may be, I have only used my capacity to drive development for the benefit of youth. And so, I have and continue to form strategic partnerships with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that Dominica’s youth have a voice.
As I have made public in the past, I hold a number of roles which I seek to equally give my time talent and treasures. In recent times I made statements of endorsement of a certain individual whom I deeply admire and look up to as a role model. These statements were misconstrued by the media and it created a media frenzy where the Chief Youth Development Officer and a certain Freedom party politician called for my resignation.
Recognizing that I am not only the head of an organization that has to be apolitical, I humbly sort the forgiveness of my executives and Dominica’s youth for my actions. It was agreed unanimously by the executive and we return to our normal business activities as a council.
However, there have been persistent efforts by individuals to incriminate me by stirring up the executive board pushing for my suspension. They had no grounds on which to do so, as the constitution gives me the inalienable right to affiliation. I must remind the general public that I am the legitimate and legally elected president until such time that a general assembly is held, which is constitutionally due in April of 2020.
I am grossly disappointed in the actions of those individuals who should be leading Dominica’s youth, their actions to destabilize the National Youth Council for their own political gains is shameful. What these individuals should be concern about really is spearheading the efforts of youth development rather than seeking to tear people down. It really speaks to their gross incompetence and that of the like-mindedness of those who continually seek to destroy and cause dismay.
On Tuesday 19th November 2019 I made a contribution to DBS radio in the wake of the protest actions in the capital and elsewhere which undoubtingly affected young people. And so, because of these statements, it is being perceived that I did something wrong when I merely sort to bring about peace to the turmoil.
In direct response to an article published on November 20th 2019 indicating “removal of Paul Baron as President of NYCD” by applying the principle from Article 8 section 10 of the NYCD Constitution” The National Executive shall have the power to suspend a member of any Committee pending the calling of the General Assembly, provided that two thirds (2/3) of the total membership of the National Executive are in favor of such suspension.
I wish to state that Article 8 section 10 of the NYCD Constitution makes provision for the removal of any person on a committee with the Council. This particular by-law is only applicable to the Standing committees of the National Youth Council. Currently, I am not on any Standing Committee neither are there any functional standing committees. So, the basis on the suspension of the duly elected President is unconstitutional, null and void.
I will in no way cease to function as the President of the National Youth Council and I will not be intimidated by those individuals who rather than building people up seek to feast on their demise.
This article is copyright © 2019 DOM767
