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(Ann Arbor, MI) -- The Green Party of Michigan
responded strongly today to the expulsion and arrest of its declared
gubernatorial candidate from the Gubernatorial Candidate Forum on the
Environment at Brighton High School on Tuesday night. Ray Ziarno,
declared Green candidate for secretary of state, was present at the
forum, among a few dozen other supporters. "Democracy was not
served tonight, obviously. There's no reason Doug should have been
excluded."
The forum, hosted by the League of Conservation Voters, declared that
"all gubernatorial candidates" were invited to speak. When
Douglas Campbell, the Greens' candidate pending their convention this
August 3-4, asked why he had not been invited, the League informed him
that only those who were participating in the upcoming primaries were
actually invited.
"It is ludicrous to consider that the only party which puts
ecological and environmental concerns in the forefront of its platform
should be shut out of a public forum on the environment using this
ridiculous standard," said GPMI elections coordinator Peter
Schermerhorn, also citing the fact that Campbell is filed as a candidate
with the secretary of state in the same manner as the rest and follows
the same rules.
Green party chair Marc Reichardt concurred. "How does participation
in the primary system grant special status to the views of two parties,
as opposed to the other three on the ballot (Green, Libertarian, Natural
Law)? How does that participation validate those two parties' plans for
preserving Michigan's environment (very few of which have come to
fruition in the past), and invalidate ours, which are likely far closer
to LCV's image of the future? This is as much a question of basic
democracy and inclusion as it is of the content of the
forum."
GPMI called for Michigan citizens to demand equal representation at
public events for all parties on the ballot (Democratic, Republican,
Green, Libertarian, and Natural Law).
Press contact:
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Marc Reichardt, 734-635-3541
dystopia@wwnet.com
http://www.migreens.org
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