Minister Hulse Says It Was the Prime Minister’s Decision to Stay Longer

Dean Barrow

U.D.P. Leader Dean Barrow will remain as Prime Minister until the year 2020, which is when the next general elections will be held. PM Barrow had initially announced that he would demit office prior to the elections to allow his successor enough time to rally the party together under a new leadership. This gave aspiring leaders John Saldivar and Patrick Faber reason to launch an intensive internal campaign for the leadership of the U.D.P.  From his announced timeline, it was anticipated that Barrow would have resigned in 2019, before completing his third term, but recently we’ve reported on rumblings within the ruling party that the Prime Minister was being to ask to stay as long as his health permits. The request was reportedly made by Cabinet on Tuesday. These reports were supported by an official government release which stated (quote) “the Prime Minister has, on the urging of his Cabinet, agreed to stay on.” (Unquote) The release also points out that the decision is supported by all ministers, including Senator Godwin Hulse. But there is a twist to this political narrative. According to Minister Hulse, it was the Prime Minister who made the decision to remain until 2020.

Godwin Hulse

Godwin Hulse, Minister of Agriculture

“Well quite frankly it was his decision. The constitution is absolutely clear. The Prime Minister stays until the general election is called which finishes his third term. He can run again you know as a area representative. He is not going to do as I understand it but there is nothing stopping him from doing it. What he cannot be is prime minister a fourth time. It was his decision to demit office a little bit earlier because of his health and physical condition. He has done his surgery. He is recuperating apparently really well and has expressed his view that he would like to continue through to the end of the term and all colleagues in Cabinet support that including myself very strongly. As you know the U.D.P. constitution calls for a convention to choose a leader sometime before the end of the term. That would be a leader in waiting. That person will not assume the position of Prime Minister unless of course if something happens extraordinary and the Prime Minister will demit his office. The constitution is very clear on that, the leader of the party who has the majority in the House becomes the Prime Minister and if there is no such leader of the party then the Governor General chooses the person who commands the support of the majority. To cut it short, I fully support Prime Minister Barrow remaining there until the end of the term. Hopefully I remain until the end of the term as well.”

Andrea Polanco

“Sir some people saw it as a strategic move. Maybe cabinet ministers did not have that confidence in the two candidates who have offered themselves, Minister Saldivar and Minister Faber.”

Godwin Hulse

“Well I can’t speak to that but clearly when there are two candidates there is a division between supports. That is a natural factor of life. So it is not that there is not confidence in the two.  It can’t be confidence in the two. It has to be confidence in one or the other. We haven’t come to that to choose a leader. The Prime Minister’s decision to remain on opens that door for anyone to jump in the fray down the road. Another third candidate, a different candidate may emerge. One doesn’t know but the heat to try to get a leader right now is off and that is good.”

That person is thought to be Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte, who lost the Port convention to Philip Willoughby, but is believed to be moving over to Queen Square.