Meryam Haddad's campaign Facebook profile image.
Updated. See end of post.
In a surprising turn of events Ecosocialist “Watermelon Revolution” candidate for the Canadian Green Party leadership Meryam Haddad has apparently been expelled from the race with just days to go to the vote.
The Justice Greens group announced the news on twitter while live tweeting a leadership event:
Haddad then seemingly confirmed it:
While there is no news as to why, some are speculating it is related to her pledge earlier in the day to make a "one-time" alliance with NDP to implement electoral reform:
No matter the reason it is unprecedented for a major party to disqualify a leadership candidate this far into a race and would take quite the explanation to be anything other than a shamefully anti-democratic move.
Voting opens September 26 and the results will be announced October 3, 2020.
This is breaking and will be updated with any developments.
Update:
While the reasons for the expulsion remain unclear Haddad has released a statement:
An up from my campaign. I truly hope the Green Party reconsider for the sake of democracy and the members.
Good evening comrades, This afternoon, I received notification from the Green Party Establishment that I have been expelled as a Contestant for the Leadership of the Green Party of Canada.
According to GPC: Leadership Contestants and all persons acting under their direction are bound by the GPC Constitution and bylaws, including the Members’ Code of Conduct, according to which members must “[n]ot intentionally undertake any action which would bring the GPC into disrepute.”
This is not the first time the GPC establishment has attacked our movement, or myself personally. They do this because they know we are a threat to the status quo. They saw 15,000 new members join the party, many of them inspired by our campaign. Only yesterday, Elizabeth May retweeted a tweet saying that I “don’t deserve to be leader of anything.”
Let me be clear this is an attack on democracy, youth, progress, and ideas that threaten the status quo.
On the eve of the election, the Party is trying to deny the members the right to choose. If they, and other candidates, truly support grassroots democracy, that choice must be maintained.
I have 48 hours (until 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, 24 September 2020), to appeal this process.
Help us make it loud and clear that we will not be silenced. Thank you for your solidarity.