HONOLULU — Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s Democratic primary opponent David Ige will be allowed to speak at the party’s state Democratic convention in May after all.
Ige’s advisers complained to the Democratic Party of Hawaii last week after learning that he and other candidates would not be able to address delegates from the convention podium.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser said the party reversed course Tuesday evening and agreed to allow Ige five minutes to speak. Abercrombie and seven other top elected officials also will be allowed five minutes each to speak.
Ige blamed the exclusion on Abercrombie. An aide to the governor’s deputy chief of staff is planning the convention.
Party officials, however, had said that shortening the event to two days made it impossible to allow all candidates to speak.