Alnoor Gova makes Burnaby-Douglas NDP nomination a three-way race

The contest for the nomination to become the federal NDP’s candidate for Burnaby-Douglas isn’t going to be a two-way race between SFU associate professor Kennedy Stewart and former North Vancouver councillor Sam Schechter.

Long-time riding resident Alnoor Gova told the Straight by phone today (February 11) that he has been cleared by a party candidate-selection committee to run in the nomination contest.

“Do I consider myself an underdog? I think so,” Gova said. “In a sense I do, because Kennedy [Stewart] is very well known. He comes with a very strong reputation. But it’s only because I think people don’t have a chance to really know me yet.”

A news release put out by Gova’s campaign provides ample information about the candidate. It reads in part:

Alnoor Gova is a writer and host on CO-OP Radio CFRO 102.7 FM. He is a community developer committed to social justice and environmentally sound policies, economic equality and sustainability. He is a Co-founder of the Siraat Collective which works with several community organizations in the Lower Mainland to facilitate public forums on a variety of social justice issues. He has worked with a variety of organizations including the Asian Heritiage Month Festivals in Metro Toronto and Vancouver.

He lived in Burnaby-Douglas for more than 25 years and has earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Information Technology, a Masters in Curriculum and Diversity at SFU and is currently finishing his PhD studies at UBC. His PhD research focuses on the present Canadian political scene, largely in the areas of Citizenship, Immigration, National Security and Law; and specifically focuses on an instrument of governmentality known as ”˜community-government’ employed within the not-for-profit sector.

Gova has has witnessed the demographic transition of the riding first hand, twards more diverse immigrant communities mostly of Asian decent. He believes he is the best suited candidate to secure votes for the NDP from these diverse communities, because as an Asian immigrant himself, he understands their issues.

He is very concered about the NDP loosing the riding, because Conservatives come very close to doing that in the last fedreal election. “I don’t want to hand over our riding to Ronald Leong and the Harper Conservatives”, says Gova, “They came within 800 votes of taking this seat away from us.”

Gova writes political poetry and essays. His latest essay with Robert Dieb titled ”˜Reading Khadr: Making sense of Canada’s reluctance to do the right thing’ forth coming in the Omar Khadr Anthology, McGill University Press. He is also a passionate speaker and has presented at many conferences and panel discuasions as well as facilitated public forums on a variety of social justice issues. He also conducted reseach and wrote a Report on Racial Profiling recently. He is also Board Member of Neworld Theatre and Asita Infomatica.