Date: Wed Sep 8 22:08:59 1999 From: alexsoko@HOTMAIL.COM (Alex Sokol) Subject: If you can't play nice... To: LIBERTARIANS@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Reply-To: LIBERTARIANS@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (Libertarian Students at the University of Arizona)
From Libertarian Party News, September 1999:
Arizona Libertarian Party disaffiliated
In a rare move, the Libertarian National Committee has voted to disaffiliate the LP of Arizona in an attempt to resolve a long-simmering internal political dispute in that state.
At its quarterly meeting in Anaheim, California on August 15, the LNC voted 14-2 to officially dissolve the party in Arizona, after efforts to mediate a resolution between the opposing sides failed.
"It's a shame that we had to take this action, but wiping the slate clean seemed to be the only way to move towards an effective, harmonious Libertarian Party in Arizona," said David Bergland, LP National Chair.
The action was taken, he said, because the LNC could no longer determine who were the proper officers of the Arizona LP, and which set of bylaws was in effect.
The dispute which led to the disaffiliation vote involved different strategic and tactical visions among Arizona Libertarians, as well as disputes over interpretations of the state LP bylaws and state law regulating political parties.
The LNC is now accepting applications for a new affiliate, said Bergland, and will then conduct a non-binding referendum among national Libertarian Party members in Arizona to help determine which application to accept. A final decision should be made by the December 1999 LNC meeting.
"Our goal is to put these disputes behind us, and move forward with the business of a political party: Increasing our size and effectiveness, running candidates, and electing more Libertarians to public office," he said.