And while there's all that crime, the Elvin Penner's predicament is the news tonight. In the words of Michael Finnegan he's become a political pinata, and the leader of the opposition - after an inexplicable two week delay - took a might swing at it today.
Fonseca warns Penner, quote, "if you fail to resign…by 5:00 pm on Monday October 7th, the PUP along with the electors of that division will initiate your recall." End quote.
Fonseca says his party has carried out extensive consultation in Cayo Northeast over the ast ten days and it is abundantly clear that Penner has lost the confidence of those he represents.
The PUP sent out a release today saying, Should Hon. Penner fail to resign the PUP will officially launch a Petition Drive along with the electors of the Cayo NorthEast Division, early next week, to initiate the process of Recall.
But how simple is that whole recall thing? We asked the man who framed the legislation Prime Minister Dena Barrow today:
Marisol Amaya, KREM Radio
"Back to the recall legislation; is there any regulations? Was there follow through with that?"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"What regulation deed there be?"
Marisol Amaya, KREM Radio
"For there to be a recall the legislation suffices and if the opposition wishes they can."
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"As I recollect, I would need to go an actually read the law. If I make any mistake it's because I am just going by my recollection, but my recollection is for there to be a recall 30% of the constituency would have to sign a petition invoking the recall mechanism. Once that has been certified there is a recall referendum if you want to call it that."
"In that recall referendum, a certain threshold must be met. I can't recollect whether it's the 60% normal referendum threshold - whether its 65%, but a threshold has to be met."
"Lets say its 60%, once 60% of the voters turn out to cast their votes in that recall referendum then the threshold is met and if 51% of the 60% of the electorate that turns out votes yes to recall the person - that person is recall. There must then be a bi-election in which that person cannot stand. I am sure why there would be the need for any regulations. The law is quite clear, I am sure the opposition knows what to do in terms of gathering petitions and submitting the petitions to the elections and boundaries office for verification."
"There was a problem last time when the people petition for a referendum, so I am sure whatever mistakes were made, they won't be made again. The threshold for triggering the recall mechanism is very low - 30%. I would imagine that if the opposition is serious it would be able to garner the 30% of signatories needed and thereafter the recall would be on."
Marisol Amaya, KREM Radio
"Does it concern you as 17/14 seat government that the opposition would choose to go this route?"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"No it doesn't concern me. We were the ones, I keep saying, as part of our reform panorama - our reform drive - we were the ones that amended the constitution to provide for a recall mechanism, so as far as I am concern for the opposition to go that route and to seek to trigger the recall mechanism is part and parse of democracy. I am not going to be concern about that at all."
"Once the mechanism is triggered, if there is the degree of turn out necessary and if there is a majority vote in support of the recall then there is a bi-election and we fight the bi-election."
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