The United Democratic Party (UDP) held a National Party Council (NPC) meeting at its Youth for the Future Drive headquarters yesterday morning, to chart the way forward to install a new party leader to replace the retiring, longtime leader, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow (Queen’s Square).
From all accounts, the NPC meeting lasted only a few minutes, before it decided on April 5 as the date for holding its National Convention.
UDP Chairman Michael Peyrefitte explained to reporters that, “The constitution of the party says that once we declare that we are in an emergency situation today, then within 35 days, at least 35 days must pass, to have a convention. That puts us at April 5. So the persons who are interested from the National Assembly to put in their names for the leader, they have up to March 26 to do so.”
Peyrefitte said if only one name is submitted, then we have a consensus, if two persons put in their names then we go to a contested convention.
Hon. Patrick Faber (Collet) emerged followed by a group of supporters. Faber told reporters that the National Party Council is not a decision making body, but the National Convention is that decision making body when it comes to electing a party leader.
Faber said that people are telling him on his phone and his Facebook Messenger that he is the right person to lead the party. Faber added, “I am heartened by what transpired in there, a lot of progress has been made, not to say that things didn’t break down, but I am heartened for the life of this party.”
Dr. Omaar Figueroa (Cayo North) who was recently said to have received the nod from cabinet for party leader did not respond when he was asked if he is running for party leader. Hon. Faber was not at that cabinet meeting.
On February 9, the UDP elected Hon. John Saldivar (Belmopan) as its new leader, but Saldivar resigned less than 72 hours when evidence was led in a money laundering and fraud trial in Salt Lake City, Utah that he had traveled to Miami to collect $50,000 that was arranged by the convict Jacob Kingston and Lev Dermen, who is on trial.