New U.D.P. Leader by Next May

Dean Barrow

In the context of his health, Prime Minister Barrow also outlined a timetable during which the U.D.P. will go about electing a new party leader.  That process begins with a series of conventions that will kick off in November.  The PM reiterated that he will demit office ahead of the date to be set for the 2020 general elections.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“The United Democratic Party has agreed to a timeline for the leadership succession.  We are going to start with constituency conventions in November.  Again, we want to give the re-registration process a chance to kick in and we should be finished with those conventions by end of January [or] early February next year.  Thereafter, we will hold delegate conventions.  We will have our conventions to select the delegates that will attend and vote at our national convention.  That process should be finished by March.  Thereafter, we will fix a date for the leadership convention.  Which I imagine will not be later than May.  So that’s what we’re looking at.  I should point out that under our party’s constitution when there is a leadership election during last term, the last parliamentary term of the incumbent, the leader so elected becomes in fact, in the language of our constitution, leader elect and does not become leader operationally until the House is dissolved and the date set for the general elections.  Unless of course that incumbent leader sooner resigns, and I have every intention, but again, by way of consultation and agreement with the party of in fact demitting office after the convention has been held and the new leader chosen.  In other words, I certainly don’t intend to wait.”