The heads of the People's United Party met today for a National Executive Meeting at the PUP office on Queen's Street where they discussed matter pertaining to the national party convention to be held in January 31st which is to decide the new party leader. Now in an interview with the media on Tuesday Henry Charles, Chairman of the Party, said there is no party leader per say. He said and we quote, "The leader stepped down after the election. The national executive is overseeing the governance of the party for now." But it appears the PUP is flip flopping again. Today after the meeting of the executives the secretary general of the Party gave us a different story.
Myrtle Palacio, Secretary General - PUP
"We have a party leader right now until a new party leader is elected. He is Francis Fonseca. He is also the leader of the opposition."
This means that the Party leader, technically still has control of the party's organs, an advantage he has over the other two candidates Cordel Hyde and Johnny Birceño. The only party leader candidate who was present at the executive meeting today was Briceño, but even before the members of the party came out of the meeting, a representative of the executive told us that the candidates will not be speaking to us at this time.
A part from the open vacancy for Party leader, the PUP is also holding conventions for other posts within the party executive including, Deputy party Leader's, Treasurer and Party Chairman. Myrtle Palacio, secretary general of the People's United Party updated us on the chosen venue and the process going into this convention.
Myrtle Palacio, Secretary General - PUP
"I have been charge today to start the process of preparing for the election. We expect that the delegate list will come to this office, to the chairman Henry Usher and myself. The deadline is December 29 at 5pm and that is the list that will go into election on January 31st. The convention will take place in Belmopan at a venue to the decided on at a later date. Each division will get to have one out of 25 votes that they received that the candidate received in the last general election. We expect to have a little over 2,900 delegates to this election. In terms of the party arms, we have been - we have ODS, we have UWG, Marshalls, policy unit and the communication unit. They will bring delegates to this convention."
Again the convention is to take place in Belmopan on January 31st and the persons vying for party leader are Francis Fonseca, Johny Briceño and Cordel Hyde.
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