Last night, the biggest news of the weekend was that Dangriga Area Representative Ivan Ramos formally resigned as Area Representative. Well that has triggered a bi-election which will be held in a month from now, but the PUP are considering their options, one of which is to boycott it, and not participate.
Very credible sources told us that going into this meeting, one of the most senior members of the party was proposing a boycott of the bi-election.
However, word is that majority of the members at this evening's meeting, voted in favor of the party to fight and contest the Bi-Election. Our information says that many are of the view that boycotting and not contesting is a viable that the party can afford to take. The Party Leader, we were informed, decided instead that team should go to Dangriga and assess which of the two options should be taken.
Coming out of the meeting, half an hour to go, the Party Leader, who is usually open to take any questions from the press, just abruptly ended the conversation:
Mike Rudon, Ch5
"Can I get a comment please?"
Hon. Francis Fonseca, PUP Leader
"We had an internal meeting of the party. There is no statement we are prepared to make at this time. We have some follow up meetings in Dangriga over the next day or two and when we are finish with that we will certainly brief the press on those meetings and discussions."
Hon. John Briceno, Deputy Leader
"We had a frank and brisk discussion today about the bye-elections and the national executive decided that we are going to have an assessment and we are going to go down in Dangriga and have an assessment discussing with the executive, with the candidates and other supporters of the party, as to how to move forward for the election next month."
Mike Rudon, Ch5
"Sir, could you clarify for us, is there actually a discussion on whether the PUP will or will not participate in the bye-election?"
Hon. John Briceno, Deputy Leader
"As we said, there is going to be an assessment. We have to go down on the ground and to find out exactly what is the best way forward for the party."
Mike Rudon, Ch5
"Is that something unprecedented, you've been a politician for a long time - that a party would not want to participate or maybe choose not to participate in a bye-election?"
Hon. John Briceno, Deputy Leader
"We are not saying that the party does not want to participate. I think what we are saying is that it is best to go down and to listen to our supporters there in Dangriga before we make any decision whether we move forward or not."
As you saw, Opposition Leader Francis Fonseca walked away in the middle of the interview. One PUP area rep who did oblige us was Toledo West's Oscar Requena. The awaiting press asked him if he had any prior knowledge of what Ramos intended to do on Sunday evening at his event. Here's how he responded:
Reporter
"Do you have anything to offer us on the debacle of your southern colleague Mr. Ramos?"
Hon. Oscar Requena, Toledo West
"No, other than to say that he made a decision and at the end of the day he is the one who had to make the decision and the decision was made by him and we have to move forward."
Reporter
"Can you confirm if any of you guys from the southern caucus before making that decision to resign his seat?"
Hon. Oscar Requena, Toledo West
"All I can say is that we were in discussion for quite some time. In fact myself and the honorable Rodwell met with him personally, we spoke as colleagues. I think we have a very frank discussion and he said to us it was a decision that he had to make and we made it absolutely clear to him that whatever decision he took whether he decided to stay on or that we would support him or if he decided that he was going to step down - that we would also ask him to support us and we would work with him as well. So it was purely a decision in his hands."
Mike Rudon, Ch5
"Are you in agreement with the party that the former honorable Ivan Ramos took money from Petrocaribe to step down?"
Hon. Oscar Requena, Toledo West
"I would prefer not to comment on that matter. I don't know."
Reporter
"You think that the action that was done was just basically premature or hurry with too much haste and it could be avoided what we are witnessing right now?"
Hon. Oscar Requena, Toledo West
"From what I know is that the Honorable Ivan Ramos was engaged in a discussion with the leadership of the party. The leadership of the party and others, members of the executive and I think there was a process. I am aware that there was a process and at the end of the day it was a decision that he made."
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