Eight weeks after their leader gave an ultimatum - the PUP today formally triggered a recall effort against UDP Cayo Northeast representative Elvin Penner.
At 10:00 this morning Deputy Leader Julius Espat and Cayo Northeast Caretaker Orlando Habet, along with their recall team, presented 2003 signatures to the Governor General in Belmopan. They've been criticized for taking too long to hand in the signatures, but now the process begins in earnest.
The Elections and Boundaries Office will now start the reconciliation process to determine if the PUP has met the 30% threshold for the writ of referendum to be issued.
Today, Espat and Habet told the media that the 2 month collection and vetting process was important to ensure that the next step can be taken. As a result, they are confident that the threshold has been met:
Orlando Habet, Cayo Northeast
"Today we called it the day for delivery of the signatures for the recall against Elvin Penner. We commenced this collection of signatures on the 3rd of October and we did almost exactly a month of signature collection, After that we did vetting of the signatures at our office with our committee."
"Subsequently, we delivered the signatures to the PUP Secretariat who also did their vetting and then compiled all the information. We decided to have a word with the Governor General, and he gave us an appointment for today. We brought our committee and our people who were instrumental in the organization of the petition and delivered to the Governor General 2,000 plus signatures jus a while ago."
Hon. Julius Espat, Deputy Leader - PUP
"We did the first step which was to gather the signatures. We have also done the second step which was to vet the signatures and prepare it in a format to present here, and now we are in the third step, which is formally presenting it to the Governor General. We will now wait for government to do its part for elections and boundaries to go through its list. Once the date is called, we are ready to go."
"People want it to be done instantaneously, and that's not possible. We have to be diligent about what we do to make sure that we are responsible of the things that we do."
"Sixty-five percent is not an easy task, general elections for example in Cayo Northeast you had a little bit over seventy percent of the population coming out to vote, so I believe that the government in place put this law for it to fail and we are testing it."
Orlando Habet, Cayo Northeast
"We feel very pleased and confident that when we delivered it today that they are good signatures that the Elections and Boundaries Commission will be able to look at and deliver to the Governor General. Then the Governor General will make that writ hopefully within the month that is stipulated under the referendum act to ask for a referendum to be drafted."
In order for that writ of referendum to be declared by Governor General, the number of validated signatures verified by the Elections and Boundaries Department must represent 30% or more of the voters in Cayo North East.
If it passes that threshold, a bi-election would be held where 65% of the electorate would have to vote for the result to be declared valid.
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