Briceño, Espat, Fonseca to contest P.U.P. leadership
After weeks of speculation, three candidates have been nominated to succeed Said Musa as leader of the People’s United Party. They are deputy leader Johnny Briceño, party chairman Francis Fonseca and Albert representative Mark Espat. While Fonseca was unavailable for comment this evening, Briceño and Espat have already started to campaign.
Mark Espat, Candidate for P.U.P. Leader
“In terms of what the chances are, I don’t think we can judge based on a few high profile persons. They are not owners of the party. The party are owned by the forty-seven, forty-eight thousand people who voted for us and I would challenge them to have a convention where all P.U.P. supporters would be able to vote and I would be confident in such an election—if it were free and fair—that our platform would be successful.”
“Over the last eighteen years of work in this party, I have tried to always exhibit the qualities of a leader and one of being on the side of the people. And being on the on the side of the people necessarily meant, for example, to seek ownership of our national assets remain with the people, seeking to be on the side of the people means being on the side of the workers. Being on the side of the people means we should have the least possible taxes on the majority of people and have those who make the most money pay their fair share. So there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a P.U.P. and standing for those principles. In fact, the Peoples’ United Party was born out of a coalition with the workers. How it is that we have come full circle and in 2005 we were facing down the unions I think is something we have to look ourselves in the mirror and say how did we get to that. it is only when we return to our roots—social justice roots—that is our obligation as a P.U.P. and that is what it means to be a hundred percent P.U.P. defending the special interest is not P.U.P. The legitimacy of the next P.U.P. leader will depend on a free, a fair and a transparent convention.”
John Briceno, P.U.P. Party Leader Candidate
“I will keep a positive campaign. I will be talking about the change, about what I represent and the vision that I have for this party. Yes, the party chairman has the establishment behind him and that whole support but I do believe that there is this real need for change and that our party supporters, our basin are clambering for this change and they really believe that … they feel that they have been left out in the decision making process. And by allowing them to be a part of this movement, allowing them to be a part of this change and the decision making process, I do believe that my message will resonate and will get the support necessary across this country in my quest to be the next leader of this party. It is a momentous decision, it is something that has taken me a long time to decide and it is something that you don’t take lightly. I am committed.”
“Mark and I continue to work for the very same things, to press on the party to make, to accept the changes, the recommendations that we are making. And Mark, I think like any other supporter of this party has the right to accept the nomination but we’ll still continue to work together and we believe at the end of the day that we will be able to work together for one common objective and that is to rebuild this party and to move forward and to win elections in the future.”
Henry Usher, Secretary General, P.U.P.
“The next step is the party convention which will be on March thirtieth. We plan to have a National Party Council before that. We usually have a party council before that. The agenda for the convention will be determined at that council.”
Janelle Chanona
“I know that at least to of these candidates had asked for an increase in the number of delegates and the publication of the voters list. Has a decision been made on that?”
Henry Usher
“No, those will be taken to the National Executive and a decision will be made as to the number of delegates and the publication of voters’ list. The voters’ list has never been published in no advance time before and so it will be something different but of course there’s always room for improvement, I believe, and there’s always room to change with new ideas and new vision. So I think that it is something that the National Executive and the Council will determine in due time. Currently we have about six hundred and forty individuals that will vote as the constitution currently states, for the party leader or any convention you have about six hundred forty delegates total. If we go one for twenty-five, we are looking at over two thousand delegates or one to fifty if anything you’re looking at over twelve hundred delegates but it will increase significantly from where it is right now. Not to say that seven hundred is a little bit because I think seven hundred out of the total population is quite a big percentage for any convention but it would go over two thousand if we had one to twenty-five”
Janelle Chanona
“If you had to pick an objection what would it be, just the logistics of organizing voting for so many people—to increasing the list.”
Henry Usher
“Logistics would be one thing. I haven’t even thought about that to be honest with you but that is something we definatley would have to take into account because two thousand people is quite a lot of people. I might need to elicit the help of Elections and Boundaries if we do something like that. But I don’t really have an objection, I go with what the party executive wants to do and it’s certainly in our constitution. We say whenever a party member brings up something it has to be taken to that level and we discuss it at that level. If the party executive, the national council decide to go that direction I will support it. I will make sure the necessary logistics are put in place for it.”
According to Usher, a date for the National Party Council meeting has not yet been set. The convention to decide leadership has already been scheduled for March thirtieth.
