PDP board bans internal personal attacks & complaints
By The Star Staff
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) governing board voted over the weekend to ban personal attacks and complaints that hurt the institution.
During the past two weeks, elected members of the PDP have publicly engaged in personal attacks and the filing of complaints that damage the political party and cause concern on the part of its rank and file, who do not want or deserve such behavior from the party’s leadership, the PDP said in a statement.
The pro-commonwealth party has been immersed in an internal struggle that became more than evident after PDP President José Luis Dalmau Santiago filed legislation to ban abortion after 10 weeks of gestation and said it was going to be approved without public hearings.
Dalmau Santiago also described women who underwent abortions as murderers.
A Senate aide claimed she was fired after opposing Dalmau’s actions.
The PDP governing board, in its regular meeting, unanimously determined to ratify the cease and desist order on personal attacks submitted by Dalmau Santiago. Board members agreed that any violation of the order will have consequences ranging from a summary suspension to a ban against an elected member from running for public office under the PDP if he or she repeatedly engages in prohibited conduct.
In order to promote institutional unity, the board supported the president’s position of dismissing the complaints, which were based on personal accusations and were an extension of the same public statements that had already been made.
“This does not mean that any allegation of violation of the law that any colleague raises and may support will not be investigated, since it is the duty of every PDP person to bring before the Secretariat and/or the Presidency any act contrary to the law,” the statement said.