NDP organizers in the riding of Coquitlam-Maillardville are calling on leader Adrian Dix to resign, in advance of a press conference on his future this week.
Dix, NDP president Moe Sihota and party secretary Jan O’Brien should voluntarily step down to allow for party renewal after its loss in the May 14 provincial election, wrote Anne Dubois, president of the Coquitlam-Maillardville NDP constituency association, in a letter to NDP executives.
“While the executive of the Coquitlam-Maillardville Constituency Association recognizes your significant contributions to the party, we believe this step is essential for genuine party renewal to take root after the defeat suffered in the May 2013 election,” reads the letter.
“While we intend to contribute to the review panel's work to identify ways in which the party, the caucus and activists can work to ensure a winning strategy is in place for the next provincial election in 2017, we hold that the only way those strategies can be swiftly and effectively implemented is with a new leader, chief executive officer and chief administrative officer.”
The riding passed a motion calling for the resignations on Sept. 8, though it only became public this weekend. Two days after the vote, Dix announced plans to address his future. A press conference is expected later this week.
Coquitlam-Maillardville is represented by rookie NDP MLA Selina Robinson, who squeaked out a 44-vote victory in the election.
The letter from the constituency association makes no mention of whether Robinson endorses the call for Dix to step aside.
NDP MLAs diplomatically sidestepped the issue of their leader’s future during a caucus meeting at the legislature last week, with most arguing that Dix will make up his own mind within the week.
However, a growing chorus of former NDP MLAs, party officials and insiders is calling on Dix to resign for presiding over an election campaign that blew an apparent lead in the polls and lost seats to the B.C. Liberals.
