A contentious internal meeting within the Progressive Liberal Party’s Southern Shores branch has ignited significant debate regarding procedural legitimacy and factional influence. Deputy Chairman Obie Roberts secured a decisive 40-0 victory over contender Clint Watson, the ZNS General Manager, in what was termed an ‘opinion poll’ conducted on Monday evening. Despite the numerical outcome, party insiders emphasize this vote holds no formal authority, as the ultimate selection of constituency candidates rests solely with the party’s candidate committee.
The meeting, held at PLP headquarters, grew increasingly tense, with reports indicating that the situation nearly escalated into physical confrontations following its conclusion. Serious allegations have emerged regarding the conduct of the branch, including claims of ‘ineligible’ or ‘fake’ members being present and accusations that the branch election was organized outside its proper constituency. Numerous attendees were reportedly turned away for not appearing on the official registry, leading critics to denounce the group as an unrepresentative ‘kangaroo branch.’
Further compounding the controversy, many participants stated they had been informed the gathering was a routine branch meeting intended for discussion, not a predetermined vote. The surprise nature of the poll and the stipulation that only ‘financial’ members could participate were cited as particularly unfair, especially given historical branch disputes and a recent exodus of members. Supporters of Mr. Watson largely abstained or walked out, protesting what they perceived as a rigged and fundamentally flawed process designed to disenfranchise legitimate constituency voters. The incident has exposed deeper competing factions within the PLP leadership, highlighting a struggle between those backing Mr. Roberts and allies of Mr. Watson.