But will he really? The fact is that there are many who are urging Espat to stand down – and one of them is his own first cousin, PUP Deputy Leader Julius Espat. He told us he loves his cousin, but putting his name on a ballot is not what's best for the PUP going forward:…
Jules Vasquez
"Mr. Espat - we've heard a lot from Luke Espat, do you support his candidacy for Cayo Central?"
Hon. Julius Espat - PUP Cayo South
"I am not in my authority - I cannot support any candidacy. I am the Deputy party leader of the Western Caucus. My responsibility is to make sure that people go to conventions and they follow the procedures, I can only advise. My opinion is that we need new faces, we need talented people, we need new blood because if we show the same faces, coming up General Election - we will get blown out like 2008, that is my personal opinion backed up by the Party Leader's opinion. We are serious about reform and change, Mr. Luke Espat, he's an honorable man -he's my first cousin and I love him dearly, he has talents more than most of us. But in my opinion, that can be used in other ways to benefit the party and the country - it's a personal opinion, him and I - we could agree to disagree. That doesn't change the fact the he's my family or that I love him, but I believe what I believe and it is backed up by what the party leader says. At the end of the day I am a humble servant of the People's United Party and I follow orders."
Jules Vasquez
"So, do you forsee that his candidacy will be approved/vetted?"
Hon. Julius Espat -
"I don't know because he has to go through the process. It's a long process, let me explain it to you. The candidate has to apply to a local executive, the local executive has to garner the application, you pay a fee, they go through all the paper work and that recommendation goes to the ODS (the order of Distinguish service). The ODS interviews and therefore makes recommendations, that recommendation goes through what we call a vetting committee which is set up by the deputy party leader of the region, a delegate of the party leader himself, the chairman of the party, the chairman of the local executive and a member of the ODS - that is the vetting committee. The vetting committee then makes their final approval or not approval and tables it to the National Executive - that is where the final word will be given and the national executive has a right and a responsibility to make sure that the candidates that we put in place can win and can create harmony within the party so that we can win a general election."
Espat says Cordel Hyde, a returning candidate for Lake Independence will be put through that same process he just outlined…..
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