South Wales Evening Post - 13 June 2007
A Leading ethnic minority official is warning of an apartheid system within Swansea West Constituency Labour Party.
The broadside has been fired in the run-up to the party's selection of a candidate to fight retiring MP Alan Williams's seat at the next general election.
Swansea CLP member Naz Malik accused his chairman Parvaiz Ali (pictured) of recruiting members of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin to help his bid for selection.
That has led, he said, to two different Labour parties in Swansea West.
"I want to highlight this dangerous path to division," he said.
But Dr Ali rejected the criticism, saying he wanted to recruit people whatever their background to boost falling membership numbers.
Mr Malik, director of All Wales Ethnic Minority Association, spoke after the release of figures showing that about a third of the membership of Swansea West CLP had origins in Pakistan or Bangladesh.
Before May last year the figure was only 10, and that had since risen by 135, with new members unattached to the two Asian countries accounting for only around 20 in that period.
"I have no personal axe to grind," said Mr Malik. "It is an issue about politics, not personalities.
"From an ethnic minority point of view, more power to his elbow."
But Mr Malik said the selection of a new candidate to fight the seat should be about politics and not ethnic minorities.
"Years ago the Labour Party was taken over by the militant tendency," he said. "Now there are two different Labour Parties in Swansea West.
"I was a leading anti-apartheid campaigner and I don't want to see a system of apartheid in Swansea West."
Mr Malik cast doubts on the eligibility of some of the new recruits to vote as they did not appear to be on the electoral register.
Dr Ali, head of nuclear science at Swansea NHS Trust, said he signalled his intention to recruit more members when he took over the chairmanship 15 months ago.
"We will be recruiting at the university's freshers' fair and at Swansea Institute of Higher Education later in the year and through other community links," he said.
"It is entirely up to members of the party who they vote for in the selection contest.
"I have been led to believe that Mr Malik's comments have now become the subject of an official Labour Party investigation."
A Welsh Labour spokesman said the party welcomed new members from all communities in Wales.
"Being a member of the Labour Party is a valuable and worthwhile thing to do for people who care about the future of their country and communities," said a spokesman.
"All members eligible to take part in the process will find it open, transparent and fair, an opportunity to have their say on who represents them as the Labour candidate in the next general election.
"Swansea West is the only Labour-held seat in Wales where a sitting MP has indicated that he is standing down. It was therefore a priority to select a new candidate as soon as possible after the Assembly election."
