Dion/May endosement a violation of Liberal Constitution

Figured this one was too good to wait, so I'm passing on my lunchbreak today... some people have suggested that Mr. Dion may be breaking sections of the Liberal Party of Canada's own Constitution by endorsing Ms. May, and not running a candidate in Central Nova.

According to my reading, there may be something to this accusation. I can find at least three sections of the Liberal Constitution where the "rights" (there's that favorite little Liberal buzzword) of Liberal Party members in Central Nova have been violated by Mr. Dion's actions... and these guys say they're the sole trustworth defender of Canadian rights?

(CLARIFICATION: Figured I should make sure I'm not misunderstood here... I am NOT saying that Mr. Dion has violated the Liberal Constitution, but that his actions are violating the Liberal Constitutional RIGHTS of members in Central Nova... they are two very different things)


Chapter 3 – Electoral District Associations
12 Purposes, constitutions and certification of EDAs

(1) Each Electoral District Association (EDA) is responsible to pursue actively the following purposes and activities:

(a) to participate in public affairs by endorsing the person
who is the candidate of the Party for election to the House of
Commons for its electoral district, by ensuring that the
association has an effective election readiness organization
and plan and by implementing that plan;

Excuse me for jumping in here... but doesn't that mean that the Liberal EDA members in Central Nova are expected to actively endorse the person who is the candidate of the Party? Since when is Elizabeth May a member of the Liberal Party of Canada? Their Constitution restricts members of other federal parties from joining... therefore, according to their Constitution, Ms. May CANNOT be endorsed by the members in Central Nova EDA in the manner that Mr. Dion has done.


Chapter 3 – Electoral District Associations
13 Rights and responsibilities of an Electoral District Association

(3) Each EDA must hold delegate selection meetings and selection meetings as required by this Constitution.

Oops... looks like the Liberal Members in the Central Nova EDA are being told by their leader, Stephane Dion, to violate their own Party Constituion by not holding a Candidate Selection Meeting... is he allowed to do that?


Chapter 15 – Candidate selection meetings
58 Purpose
Each EDA must hold a candidate selection meeting to select a candidate of the Party for election to the House of Commons at the time specified by, and in accordance with, the rules made by the National Election Readiness Committee under Section 60.

Oops again... looks like they're going to have to violate at least two sections of the Constitution. Again, is Mr. Dion allowed to tell them to violate their own Constitution?


Chapter 15 – Candidate selection meetings
59 Right to attend and vote
Every member of the Party has the right to attend a candidate selection meeting of their EDA and has the right to vote at that meeting if that member:
(a) is present at the meeting;
(b) has been a member of the Party for the period established
by the National Election Readiness Committee;
(c) has not voted at another candidate selection meeting
held for the same election (except when the results of a
candidate selection meeting are declared invalid).

Yep... the Liberal Party of Canada's Constitution says that the members in Central Nova have the RIGHT, as granted them by the Constitution of the Liberal Party of Canada, to attend AND VOTE at the meeting where their LIBERAL Party candidate will be selected... therefore, Mr. Dion's actions with Ms. May are a clear violation of the rights of all Liberal members in Central Nova.

Their own party Constitutional rights have been violated... and these guys say they are the sole defenders of the Canadian Charter of Rights? THEY BREAKING THEIR OWN CONSTITUTION HERE... how are we supposed to trust them to defend our national Constitution?

"Party of the Charter"(TM)? RIIIIGHT... and they pull this one right in the middle of the Charter's 25th birthday, no less.