P.U.P. Party Leader on Resignation of Marci Tulio Mendez

Marco Tulio Mendez

On Tuesday, we reported that Orange Walk East Area Representative Marco Tulio Mendez had formally announced his resignation from electoral politics.  Mendez will not be contesting his seat in the 2017 general elections, having cited medical reasons for his inability to run again.  Today, P.U.P. Party Leader Francis Fonseca expressed his disappointment in the recent turn of events but says that the primary concern of the party is the physical wellbeing of Doctor Mendez.

Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Party Leader

“I’m obviously very disappointed that Doctor Marco Tulio Mendez had to step down, it is not something he wanted to do, but he was advised to do by many, many doctors who he saw over the past few months.  So, that is my first concern, his health is my first concern and I am concerned about him as a friend and as a colleague and that supersedes any of our political interests.  Moving forward, we have to put in place and we have already put in place a team in the northern caucus who will lead an effort to find the best possible replacement for Doctor Marco Tulio Mendez.  That will obviously be very difficult because he was an extremely capable representative but we will do so and we’ve had a number of candidates emerge.  So I expect that there will be a convention to determine who will be the next standard bearer and I expect that that convention should be concluded no later than the end of January 2015.”

Reporter

Francis Fonseca

“Sir, we are told that there is a Dave Burgos, who may have expressed his interest to the party as a replacement for Doctor Mendez. Have you received any such information?”

Francis Fonseca

“Not formally. I know, as I’ve said, there are several individuals who are capable and interested. You mentioned Dave Burgos, he was a former two-term representative for Orange Walk East—from 1998 to 2008, I believe. And there are also other candidates. The young man, Josue Carballo, who is the chairman of orange Walk East, I’ve heard some people call his name that he is interested. But we have had no formal applications as yet and others as well. Let me say that other names have been called as well.”