U.D.P. Constituents in Dangriga Call for a Convention of the Constituency

Frank Mena

In political news, Foreign Minister Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington and former minister Gaspar Vega both announced they will not seek re-election in the Pickstock and Orange Walk North constituencies. Their decision came immediately after Minister Patrick Faber became the leader elect of the U.D.P. less than two weeks ago, on July twelfth.  In Punta Gorda, Mayor Ashton McKenzie also announced he was calling it quits. Tonight, the political future of Frank “Papa’’ Mena is unknown. The minister of state was a strong supporter of defeated John Saldivar and was among a list of persons who purportedly said they would not continue to serve under Faber as leader. Now, Mena has come under fire from known U.D.P. Dangriga constituents, six of them have written to the leader elect, giving reasons why the minister of state should not enjoy endorsement and they call for a convention of the constituency.  The letter, which has no official letterhead, is signed by the six  including John Castillo, former chairman of the Dangriga U.D.P. Committee; Aaron Gongora, former mayor and current councillor for the town and Earth Lopez, who is also a councillor at the Dangriga Town Council.  The issues aired generally include the abandonment of the division, which they say is divided. Mena, they claim, has not been active and has not carried out registration or transfer drive; he has not even been seen casually. Information to News Five is that since the election of Faber, Mena has gone under the radar and has not been answering calls from his political colleagues. We also tried to reach him, but to no avail.