Patrick Faber to be Formally Introduced as U.D.P. Leader

Party leader Elect Patrick Faber is set to formally take over the reins of the U.D.P. on October eighth when he will be introduced to the masses of supporters as the official successor to outgoing party leader Dean Barrow who has remained at the helm since 1998.  The event will be televised and is also feature the U.D.P. standard bearers of the remaining thirty constituencies.  But will Faber’s introduction next Thursday mean that he will also take over as head of government between then and the November general elections?  That’s what we asked U.D.P. Chairman Michael Peyrefitte earlier today.

Michael Peyrefitte

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party

“It has no bearing at all.  The leader of the U.D.P. is the Right Honorable Dean Barrow, he’s the leader of the U.D.P.  We have a party leader elect, but that party leader elect does not become the party leader until the current party leader resigns and the current party leader has not resigned and he will not resign on October eighth and he will be the prime minister right up until another prime minister is sworn in.  What I can tell you, and I don’t believe that I am telling too much of a detail outside of school, but essentially, as the party leader elect, the honorable Patrick Faber has been tasked to oversee all party business as the party leader elect, while the prime minister and current party leader has taken over just the running of the government until a new government is formed.  So what will happen with that launching of the honorable Patrick Faber is just an official launch to say, “Look, this is our party leader elect.  When we win in November this will be our prime minister and it’s a launch of the final lap of the campaign period up until election day.”