Email

Print

Today at 5:15 PM when nominations were closed, Chairman of the PUP Henry Usher gave the media an overview:..

Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman
"For the post of party leader, we received 3 nominations; the Hon. John Briceno, Hon. Cordel Hyde and Hon. Francis Fonseca. For the post deputy party leaders we received 6 nominations; Hon. Florencio Marin Jr., Hon. Jose Mai, Hon. Julius Espat, Hon. Mike Espat, Hon. Rodwell Ferguson and Hon. Kareem Musa. For the post of national communication director we've received 3 nominations; Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Anthony and Emilio Zabaneh. For the post of national campaign manager we received one nomination; Victor Espat. For the post of legal advisor we received one nomination Anthony Sylvestre Jr. For the post of treasurer we received one nomination Ramon Cervantez and for the post of chairman we received two nominations Henry Charles Usher and Hon. Oscar Requena. Those are the nominations that we've received and they've been accepted."

So, those are all the nominations, but there is a wrinkle - because Francis Fonseca's camp sent in a slate - meaning nominations for every post. Now, a slate complicates matters - and some might argue - detracts from the goal of a pure leaders' convention. Chairman Usher said it is something that the party is looking at:..

Jules Vasquez
"Is the party encouraging slates or is it not encouraging slates?"

Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman
"I can't make a decision by myself as to how the ballots will look, whether it will be a slate or whether or not will be individual ballots you voting for. That's a decision that would have to be made at the national party council. What I can say is that in my discussions with two of the candidates nominated for party leader, that being Hon. John Briceno and Hon. Cordel Hyde, in separate meetings with them and myself, they both express the view that they would prefer that we go the route that we did many times in the past and that is select a leader and following that we have the election for the national executive. Of course that's a matter that would have to be brought up at the national party council if it's going to be that way. And that's why I can't really pre-empt any answers to the question you ask just now. Hon. Cordel Hyde mentioned to me that he does have a slate, but because of his views on the matter he didn't want to put in a slate. As well Hon. John Briceno made the same sentiments to me that he has a slate that he wanted to put forward, but because of this movement now towards just electing the leader - that they would have prefer to let it thrashed out at the national party council."

And so there are still arrangements to be made, and with a week to go before the names of the 2793 delegates are submitted - the question is who is in charge of the PUP. That's important, because whichever faction is controlling the party secretariat can steer things in their favour - or at least that's the conventional wisdom. Today Chairman Usher said he is in charge:..

Reporter
"Who is the leader of the People's United Party at this point?"

Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman
"Currently we have a leader of the opposition in the house. There is no leader per say. The leader stepped down after the election. The national executive is overseeing the governance of the party for now."

Reporter
"I just ask because in the 6 weeks leading up to convention, who controls the secretariat? Who controls Positive Vibes, who controls the Belize Times? Because these organs have been actively blasting persons who were aspiring for leadership in the past weeks."

Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman
"I haven't heard any of them blasting aspiring candidates. But certainly as I just said the organs of the party; secretariat and those organs are being managed by the national executive which is chaired by myself. If that is happening - you can't be having negative campaigns on the party organs. That's certainly not allowed. I haven't heard anything like that though."

Reporter
"Is this something you will be looking back in the weeks ahead?"

Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman
"I have to look at it now. You have brought it to my attention. I didn't know about it before."

As we noted there will be almost three thousand delegates, and that large number is principally derived through the system of one delegate for every 25 votes earned in the last election - putting large constituencies - even ones where the PUP lost - at a weighted advantage over smaller constituencies.