Peyre Says He’s Running Independent

Michael Peyrefitte

So who is Peyrefitte supporting for new leader of the U.D.P.?  That’s a question we put to him during our sit down this morning and he told us that despite having a vote to cast, he is remaining neutral, since his prospective role as incoming chairman will require him having to work with both candidates before and after the race.

Michael Peyrefitte, Member, United Democratic Party

“I am running as an independent chairman.  I don’t think, when you look at the constitution of the U.D.P.  The leader, first deputy and second deputy must be persons who come from the House of Representatives.  The chairman and deputy chairman cannot come from the house, it can come any other U.D.P. may vie for chairman or deputy chairman and I think the reason for that is clear.  You want the chairman, when you look at the U.D.P. constitution; you want the chairman and the deputy chairman to be as neutral as possible.  Why?  The chairman under the U.D.P. constitution is the chief referee of most disputes or most questions or anything you can think about, the chairman plays a very, very key role.  So I don’t think it would be healthy for any presumptive chairman or any possible chairman to take a side with any of the other candidates, whether for leadership, for first deputy or second deputy.  I don’t think that that’s an important thing for me to do and that’s not what I’m going to do.  I don’t believe that John or Patrick need my help at all, I think they are perfectly capable of running their own campaigns without me, but of course, I have a vote and I know who I will vote for.  But I don’t think that I should be aligned on any slate with any one of them.  Whichever one of them wins I will respect them as the new leader elect of the U.D.P. and if I am lucky enough to be the chairman of the party then I will serve whoever the delegates decide they want to be their leader.”