NDP blocks Kuo: Controversial candidate won't run for nomination

By Dan Hilborn
Published Feb. 5, 2005


The B.C. NDP has pulled the plug on Tony Kuo's attempt to switch parties.

The party's provincial executive decided on Thursday night to say no to the disgruntled former federal Liberal nominee and instead approved five other people to run for its candidacy in the Burnaby- Willingdon riding.

"The executive felt that the effort by Mr. Kuo to forge a relationship with the NDP after leaving the Liberals just did not work," NDP provincial secretary Gerry Scott said Friday morning.

"A lot of advice was offered to Mr. Kuo about how to become involved and make the transition and, in the view of the executive, that effort was not successful."

Scott noted that much of the NDP's discomfort with Kuo arose from the fact that the 44-year-old businessman was still considering running for the Liberal party as recently as three months ago.

Kuo, who describes himself as "Mr. Democracy," filed his nomination papers before heading overseas on vacation last week and was unavailable for comment after the NDP decision was made public.

But, while Kuo's nomination was quashed, the party gave the go- ahead for five other people to run in the Willingdon nomination race set for Feb. 20.

Among the newcomers approved to run for the nomination this week are Gabriel Yiu, who is described as an award-winning Chinese media commentator, and Umendra Singh, the owner/editor of the Asian Star newspaper.

Michael Walton, who was previously approved to run for the nomination in Willingdon, called the Burnaby NOW on Friday morning to say that he was dropping out of the race in order to support Yiu's bid.

"I've decided that one of the last-minute candidates is someone I can support very strongly, and I'd like to see him make a run for the NDP - and that's Gabriel," Walton said. "The NDP is a party of inclusion, and at one point we were running three middle-aged white men for the riding.

"While I like to think I've got good qualities and I'd like to be an MLA, I think politics have to be inclusive, and so I will be supporting Gabriel strongly."

Attempts to contact Yiu were unsuccessful.

Singh, who previously filed papers for the NDP nomination in Vancouver-Kensington, said he wants to brings some business acumen to the party.

"I feel the NDP has to bring in more people that are not just union bosses but are involved in business," said Singh. "I think I'd be a good candidate for the party and I think it is a winnable riding."

Singh, 44, currently lives in Surrey but said he knows "a lot of people in the riding" thanks to his long-term work in the ethnic press and the fact he previously lived in the riding.

Meanwhile, Scott said the party executive has always had the authority to approve or reject nomination papers. "It's not a commonplace thing," he said. "The membership, by and large, are the ones who make the decisions, but the constitution does provide that the executive must approve each and every candidate."