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Today, Musa held a press briefing at his office to say that he is considering challenging Briceno for the leadership in November's convention. To hear him tell it, it all started after KREM's Marisol Amaya asked Briceno about a possible challenge right at the September 30th meeting. For background, here's what she asked Briceno:...

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"I have not seen any member trying to say that they were interested in leadership. People are only interested in one thing..."

Reporter
"We have heard some names though, Kareem Musa - at least as one. You are saying you haven't heard those names at all?"

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"None at all and I have great respect and regard for Kareem and He and I have been working very closely. In every instance whatever I ask Kareem to do, he takes on the challenge and I met with him yesterday when I told him my plan and he is prepared to work as a team and he is prepared to continue to support me as the party leader."

As you heard and saw in the story, Musa spoke about signed endorsements, and Briceno has those from more than 20 of the 31 divisions. There's a unanimous endorsement from the Northern Caucus - which covers 8 seats, an endorsement of nine constituencies from the Eastern Caucus, three of the four constituencies in the southern caucus, and a "majority" of support from the Western Caucus.

So, then, where does Kareem Musa fit in there? He surely has the support of his father's division in Fort George, and his own Caribbean Shores - but what else? And is the 39 year old first termer even politically mature enough to realistically make a run for leadership? That's what we asked him today:...

Hon. Kareem Musa, PUP Deputy Leader (East)
"But naturally what that has done is I've been getting a lot of calls many supporters from the party have been asking me to please consider it even though like I said it was never my intention at this stage we only had a leadership convention 18 months ago and personally I believe it is not in the best interest of the party at this point to be holding a convention. I also indicated that to the party leader. We are months away from a municipal election and that really should be where our focus is: on the municipal elections. So I think it disappointed a lot of our area reps and standard bearers that in fact we're going to be having a convention, not necessarily a contested convention, but, regardless, there is a lot of resources that go into a national convention and the message that I've been getting from a lot of the municipalities is that these resources could have been applied to their causes, because as you know that should be our focus at this point."

"But the long and short of your question, the answer is that I'm considering it: I owe it to those individuals that are calling me, to those standard bearers and area reps, I owe it to them to consider it. I am aware that over the last two days and this is very surprising to me that at this very early stage the party hierarchy has been getting signatures of endorsement for the party leader, but when in fact nobody is in the ring yet. So I find that a little weird, that they are actually... there's this high degree of insecurity and I don't know where it's coming from."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Might you agree with the party leader, whose position as I understand it is that, yes, we need to energize for the municipals, a national convention is a way of energizing, especially if he is not challenged, and we're all there unified, that is how we jump start the process and..."

Hon. Kareem Musa, PUP Deputy Leader (East)
"It's called a rally, Jules, you can have a national rally, a big one at that. So, it doesn't have to be a leadership convention is all I'm saying."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Anecdotally we heard that you have to have in you're either with him or against him by last week Thursday."

Hon. Kareem Musa, PUP Deputy Leader (East)
"Yes and I didn't put that it. No I didn't put that in."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You did not?"

Hon. Kareem Musa, PUP Deputy Leader (East)
"No, no. Maybe they will have a replacement for me."

Reporter
"You're being very guarded but at the end of the day what we walk away with - pardon me if I'm wrong - is that you will challenge."

Hon. Kareem Musa, PUP Deputy Leader (East)
"How did you get there? How did you get there?"

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"It's obvious!"

Hon. Kareem Musa, PUP Deputy Leader (East)
"I am considering it, yes, of course. You will not force my hand today, Marisol. I am considering it."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But obviously the sheer thought of not falling in line behind the leader, it amounts to a rebellion."

Hon. Kareem Musa, PUP Deputy Leader (East)
"No it does not. I can still do my work and effectively so without being a deputy leader for the east which for your information, I get bypassed a lot when it comes to that title, so it means nothing to me, really. Because I don't get involved in anything when it comes to the east, ahm, so at the end of the day, I can still get my work done, in my area and for the party."

Reporter
"What would have convinced you to support your party leader to continue in that position?"

Hon. Kareem Musa, PUP Deputy Leader (East)
"I have told him this already: more inclusivity, listen to the people out there, listen to the municipalities that are crying out right now, their concerns, it's a lot, just listen to them and let's get some action and give them the autonomy that they're asking for. We don't have to impose our way on them."

And while he may not see as a disadvantage, if Kareem Musa wants to be leader, while he be burdened by his father's name and legacy? That's what the press asked him today:

Reporter
"The government always goes back to this Accommodation Agreement that your father signed, and they also ridicule you in the house because he is your father, like son, noh? Do you think that that can come against you and maybe people will look at you with the perception that, well, it's the same old PUP, look, it's just another Musa."

Hon. Kareem Musa, PUP Deputy Leader (East)
"Well, let me say this. That type of propaganda, in my opinion, and at least in the opinion of everyone that supports me, it is old, it is tired, it is gone. People see me for who I am, people don't judge me based on my father. Yes, Dean Barrow will come after me with that, because that is all he has, there is no scandal on me that he can bring. I am my own person. And, everybody knows - well, not everybody - but my father knows that I disagree on a lot of issues, when it comes to him, and the decisions he has made, and I have said that publicly."

Reporter
"And the Accommodation Agreement is one of them?"

Hon. Kareem Musa, PUP Deputy Leader (East)
"That is one of them, yes. But that is his legacy. That is not my legacy, my legacy is left to be built."

By the guidelines set out in the PUP constitution, Musa or any challenger would have to submit their slate by October 26th.