Is P.U.P. Western Caucus a House Divided?

Francis Fonseca

Prior to Mahmud’s resignation, there were reports of contention within the P.U.P. Western Caucus.  The rift was said to be between Deputy Party Leader, Julius Espat, and former chairman Mahmud and many believed it escalated to his sudden departure.  According to the P.U.P. leader, the western caucus took a unanimous decision to hold a delegates convention in San Ignacio, seemingly going against Mahmud’s expectations as chairman.  

Francis Fonseca, Party Leader, P.U.P.

“I always gave him that opportunity to address these problems in an open forum whether it’s at the national executive, whether it’s in a western caucus meeting.  I had several meetings with the western caucus leaders, we discussed many issues and the issue of the adjustment of the western caucus, the structure of the western caucus was something that I discussed at length with Mr. Mahmud.  He was the chairman at the time, I discussed it at length with him and I made it clear to him that I felt that moving in this direction was in the best interest of the party and of him because he felt overwhelmed as an area representative and I thought he needed to focus his attention and efforts on his work as an area representative.  So I believe I’ve always been very fair, very open with Mr. Mahmud so I can’t account for his frustration. The decision for a delegates convention in San Ignacio was a decision of the western caucus, a decision in which all of the party representatives of the western caucus; I think with the exception of Mister Senator Patrick Andrews…I think he was out of the country at the time. All other representatives: Doctor Guerra, Orlando Habet, Dan Silva, Julius Espat…all of them met, Mister Mahmud was invited to that meeting as well and that was a unanimous decision of that caucus. They felt that that was the best way in which the resolve some issues of unity that were arising as a result of the propose convention there. That was it. And so the party and I accepted that recommendation. The secretary general made no such recommendation to the party. That came from the western caucus; the executive and I supported it. it was brought to the executive, we supported it, we endorsed it and the secretary general then carried out the instructions of the executive to go down there and have this delegates convention, which in our view worked very successfully.”