Michel Chebat is P.U.P. Cayo North Stand Bearer
There is one more bit of information from the P.U.P. and that is that there is a new P.U.P. Standard Bearer in Cayo North and it is not Richard Harrison, who contested the bye-elections in early January. At around midday today, the party’s leadership swore in attorney Michel Chebat as their new candidate for the division. Now the obvious question would be…well, what happened to Harrison who offered himself at a time when the Party was down and out in the area? We are told that he is still a P.U.P. supporter, but has just made way for new leadership. Interestingly that new leadership, in the person of Chebat, had stepped aside just before the by-election, making way for Harrison. This afternoon News Five spoke to P.U.P. Deputy Leader Julius Espat who said that it was the right thing to do at the right time.
Julius Espat, Deputy Leader, P.U.P.
“The Party Leader and I were in Cayo North about an hour ago and yes there was a swearing in ceremony for the new Standard Bearer for Cayo North who is Mr. Michel Cehbat and we also swore in his new Executive Committee. We had a meeting yesterday at the National Executive and the Party Leader requested authorization from the National Executive for him to make decisions on the two pending seats which is Cayo North and Belize Rural North, so he has done the first one under Section thirteen six of the People United Party’s constitution.He has made a decision and Mr. Michael Chebat is now the Standard Bearer for the Cayo North division.”
Julius Espat
Reporter
“Sir you say that he requested the authorization yesterday at the meeting…was the authorization given because I understand that there was some contention over the matter?”
Julius Espat
“There is always discussion, there was no contention. It was a unanimous decision giving him that authority.”
Reporter
“Can you tell us the situation with Richard Harrison?”
Julius Espat
“There is no situation the Party has just endorsed a new candidate. We believe that a decision had to be made…it is a critical point in time. We have our municipal elections coming up and we need our troops to be battle ready. This was a good decision made by the Party Leader because he is making sure that the voters of Cayo North will come out to be able to support the mayoral candidate.”
Espat says there was no contention, but we are reliably informed that the decision by the party leader to conduct the swearing in today is causing rumblings in certain sections of the grand ole Party.
