Minister Elrington Says P.U.P.’s “NO” Position was Predictable

According to Foreign Minister, Wilfred Elrington, the P.U.P.’s announcement on Wednesday of not going to the I.C.J. was expected.  Elrington believes that Briceño, who is on record of personally supporting a YES, had no other option.

Wilfred Elrington

Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“I was clear in my mind that this would be the decision that the P.U.P.s would come up with. They will tell you very readily that I had said to them that they will vote no. That is predictable. Why? Because when faced with a decision of this important that is when you separate the men from the boys. You will either me a run of the mill politicians or you will show yourself to be a statesman. This was one of those moments that called for that determination to be made. Regretfully I don’t think that the leadership of the PUP at this point, certainly those supposedly speaking for the party, has been able to rise to the level of being statesman. It is most unfortunate for Johnny Briceno because as you rightly pointed out he, himself had made it public that he would vote yes and by being the head of the party that comes out with a no, there are some implication that he may have changed his position and in fact is a ‘no’ voter at this point in time which is most regretful because that it the position of the ordinary run of the mill politician. I think he was boxed in a corner because I think that people like Cordel Hyde and the southern caucus were using this as a lever to try to get him out of office. “If you don’t vote no, we are going to call a special party council meeting and we will vote to put you out of the leadership position’. I think that it is that kind of pressure that influenced poor Johnny to lose this wonderful opportunity to show that he is in fact  not a mere ordinary run of the mill politician but a true statesman who is prepared to put this country before his own political ambition. That is how I read that.”