By ROGAN M. SMITH, Guardian Senior Reporter, rogan@nasguard.com

Former president of the Bahamas Utilities Services and Allied Workers Union (BUSAWU), Huedley Moss claims that he and his slate of candidates are allegedly being blocked by current union president, Carmen Kemp from being nominated for upcoming elections.

He has also accused Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) administrators of meddling in union affairs.

Moss plans to run for president of the union. Elections are scheduled for the end of June.

During a press conference yesterday at the corporation, Moss, who lost his bid for re-election three years ago to Kemp, claimed he and several of his candidates have been denied the opportunity to submit nominations.

However, he admitted that yesterday was the first time that he had sought the nomination, despite the fact that Kemp has dedicated the entire month of April for nominations.

Moss and his candidates took reporters to the BUSAWU trailer, located at the back of WSC on Thompson Boulevard yesterday and knocked on the door. However, there was no response.

"This is the first time that I've been here, but someone ought to be here because they said it's for 30 days," he said.

"We believe that the union is being extremely insensitive towards the democratic process. She (Kemp) is in dream land. The only advice we have for the Water and Sewerage Corporation's management is to stay out of union business, stay out of our affairs."

However, in an interview with The Guardian, Kemp denied that the union was attempting to block Moss' candidates from being nominated.

She said at the time Moss and his candidates sought to submit nominations, the union was in negotiations.

"We cannot be in two places at the same time. They have the whole month for nominations, it's not like when he was at the helm and he had it on one day," she said.

"I opened the whole month of April for nominations, so they can come anytime. If I'm not here, the secretary general is in the same building, all they have to say is that they wish to nominate."

Kemp said Moss and former union treasurer, Vincent McDonald are not eligible to run or participate in any electoral process.

"He put the matter in court and we await the court's decision. In the meantime, the union must function. We're allowing the union to function," she said.

"He could've called me when the press was here. He and the previous treasurer are not financial, so they are not eligible to run or participate in any electoral process as it stands right now. I am not denying them, they are not financial under our constitution."

Kemp believes that Moss is making a scene in order to influence the court's decision.

"They submitted an affidavit to the court and he keeps renewing his briefs, this last one he sent his slate of candidates, who he wants to run, all to influence the court's decision," she said.

"Good always prevails over evil. I await the court's decision."

The union's last election was held May 13, 2005.

Moss lost the election by six votes.

But, the former president maintains that the union's constitution allows him and his officers, to be nominated for the upcoming election.

"We have had several cases, we have been to the Supreme Court several times. The first person we went to see was Justice Lyons. At the hearing in Justice Lyons' court, he had to recuse himself from hearing the case because the same lawyer that represents Ms. Kemp also represented him," he said.

"Since then, we've had hearings with (Justice) Neville Adderley. We were advised by our attorneys, Wayne Munroe, Obie Ferguson and Alex Morley and they told us to nominate today. As you can see, no one is here to accept the nomination."

He continued, "In the last election she (Kemp) won by six votes, we believe that we have the numbers to have her removed, because for the first time in the history of the union, workers went three years without an industrial agreement and an increase in salary. It never happened before," he said.

According to Moss, 292 workers are eligible to vote in the upcoming election.