The PUP met at party headquarters today for the first time since their bruising election defeat a week ago. The party called all executive members and standard bearers to a farewell luncheon for outgoing party leader Francis Fonseca. The various candidates all arrived between 12:00 and 12:30. Only one man was missing – and that is the guest of honour – Francis Fonseca. He arrived close to 1:00 pm and joined his colleagues at an event where – we are told – he received unanimous praise.

After that luncheon, the members of the executive remained for a meeting to discuss principally – the national convention which needs to be held to elect a new leader among other posts. That meeting ended around 3:15 pm – and Chairman of the Party Henry Usher gave the media a briefing on what was decided:….

Henry Usher - Chairman, Fort George

"We will have a national convention. There was some question whether it would have been special convention to elect a party leader or a national convention. It was decided by the majority of the national executive that we will have a national convention. The date of the national convention will be the 31st of January that is a Sunday in 2016. We will have a deadline for nominations for the open post of the 15th of December 2015 and of course the deadline for the delegates list to come in around the same time. By the constitution it has to be 30 days prior to the date of the national convention."

Reporter

"Where will the convention be held?"

Henry Usher - Chairman, Fort George

"Last item on the agenda was the parliamentary appointments and for the joint sitting of the house on Friday. The Hon. Francis Fonseca will continue to be the leader of the opposition in the house and the 3 senators that were nominated prior to the election will once again hold their post as senators in the joint sitting until we have a new leader in place."

"I believe it will be a peaceful transition. I can better answer that after the 15th of December but I do believe that everybody is of the agreement for the way forward that we have to have one leader and we have to fully support that leader going forward into the next election."

The venue for the convention will be decided on December 15^th – when the names are submitted. In total, a whopping 2973 delegates and council members will vote – and it will be the first time since the PUP constitution was amended in 2010 that there will be such a vast number of delegates.

Now, who will they vote for? That is the question. Today, when the national executive meeting was finished we spoke with two possible aspirants – and both of them were very guarded in their strategy. The first was Kareem Musa:…

Hon. Kareem Musa - Area Representative, Caribbean Shores

"Putting the hat into the ring business doesn't start until December 15th, so there is still time to consider that. I've been getting a lot of calls suggesting that I should but certainly it's something I have to consider, it's not something I'm just going to jump into at this time. I'm a new comer to the race, there's a lot of other leaders in this party that I hold in very high regard and who I would love to have them lead. We just have to wait and see how this thing pans out."

Mike Rudon - Channel 5 News

"But from what you're saying, you're not rejecting this thing out of hand."

Hon. Kareem Musa - Area Representative, Caribbean Shores

"Like I told Jules in our conversation, you never say never in politics; I've learned that, you never say never but at the same time my focus right now is on Caribbean Shores."

Mike Rudon - Channel 5 News

"If you do not go for it, who would you want to see take over the reins of the party?"

Hon. Kareem Musa - Area Representative, Caribbean Shores

"I could hold that one to my chest and I will do so, thank you Jules."

Hon. Julius Espat - Area Representative, Cayo South

"I don't want to be part of a movement right now that fractures the party more than anything else. So I believe we have to wait to see who the names are. At this point in time I am reluctant to put in my name but that doesn't mean no. I'm a loyal PUP; I am just more loyal to my people in Cayo South right now. They have come out really giving there all for us and I have to give them more time back right now."

"But leadership is not just putting a badge on your shoulder, leadership is right now, especially in the PUP it's about unity. And not unity when you go on stage and say, I love you. No, real unity, you have to bring the factions together and so we are hoping that one of us will be able to do that."

Mike Rudon - Channel 5 News

"What do you think the party needs at this point to make itself viable for elections once again? I mean there have seen a series of consecutive losses."

Hon. Julius Espat - Area Representative, Cayo South

"We need to go back to our roots I believe, which is the way George Price did it. I don't think we are explaining our story as best as we could. We have to learn to fight machinery that has more money than us, that's a fact. We have been able to do that in Cayo South and some other constituencies have learnt to do that but if the others don't do that, they will never win."

"So I believe the party needs a leader that is willing to get up at 5 in the morning and go to sleep 12 in the night and travel this country and meet with his people and be democratic, true democracy; meaning we have to listen to the people. And if that means we have to change some our players or most of our players, I don't know what that reality is; then we have to be able and ready to do that. If not the PUP will never be the party it once was."

Reporter

"Would you be loyal to anyone else in the position if it were not you?"

Hon. Julius Espat - Area Representative, Cayo South

"I have been loyal to the last 2 party leaders. If you ask anyone of them, I have been hard working behind the scenes."

Reporter

"I'm talking about John Briceno or Cordel Hyde."

Hon. Julius Espat - Area Representative, Cayo South

"Both of them have talents. I am more familiar with John Briceno because I worked under him but Cordel has some incredible attributes that I think he can bring to the party. People have to decide who that leader is and I will be there, I will be there to do my part."

Jules Vasquez

"Mr. Briceno make I have a little interview with you sir."

Hon. John Briceno - Area Representative, Orange Walk Central

"I think the chairman will explain that process to you."

Jules Vasquez

"But we just want to know if you're interested."