On December 12, the state chair of the New York Independence Party, Frank McKay, dropped his appeal of the intra-party dispute over the identity of the true officers of the Staten Island party. This means that the Staten Island party officers are now undisputed. They are allies of Lenora Fulani.
In recent months, McKay legal efforts to wrest control of the Brooklyn and Queens parties have also failed, although appeals are still pending. Manhatten’s party is also controlled by Fulani allies, and Manhatten is not contested.
Fulani allies also won a court battle over the Westchester County party, on November 29, 2006. Lehrer v Cavallo, 18071-06. The court found that the county organizing meeting held in September by McKay forces was fundamentally unfair, and ordered that a new meeting be held in the next few weeks.
Even if Fulani allies win complete control of the New York city branches of the party, which seems likely, the New York city branches only hold 25% of the voting power on the party’s state committee. The state committee holds the power to nominate candidates for statewide office (this power can be overturned by a primary only with a petition signed by 15,000 party members, something that is very difficult to achieve).
Since it is doubtful that WF even HAS 15,000 enrolled members statewide, the NY election law provides an alternative of 5% of registration, whichever is less.
The Fulani Forces do not need to dominate the party’s state committee and decide the nominees for public office. That can be done collectively and democratically by the whole party. What was necessary, though, was that the Fulani Forces be treated fairly. That is why they were triumphant in the court proceedings mentioned.
Member (of the garden variety type): CUIP; GPUS; Unity08