John Saldivar Ineligible to Become Party Leader if Faber Recalled

John Saldivar

So if Leader of the U.D.P. Patrick Faber is recalled and removed, who will succeed him?  That is going to be left up to a national convention if more than one person offers him or herself for the position.  If that happens, those persons come from a very small pool of eight people.  In the meantime, however, should Faber be recalled, Deputy Party Leader Hugo Patt will assume the post as interim leader until a convention is called.  While there has been speculation about the powers within the U.D.P. – namely pointing to John Saldivar, who is one of the leaders of the “Caucus for Change” that has triggered this recall process against Faber – today, Chairman Peyrefitte shut down those speculations as he made it clear that a Saldivar leadership would be unconstitutional as his current position hasn’t changed.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“I have had no conversation with the Honorable John Saldivar concerning this matter. And in terms of him being leader, technically speaking, it is only eight people who can be the leader of the UDP. Our Constitution is clear. The UDP can only be led by a person in the National Assembly which consists of the five members of the House and the three members in the Senate. Those are the only eight people who can lead the UDP. So, if you look at Mr. Saldivar’s position, he is not in the National Assembly so at this time even if he is the person leading this charge and I have no evidence to think before me that the is the one doing it, I can assure you that he definitely knows because he definitely knows the Constitution well, that if Mr. Faber were to be removed at a recall convention he cannot be the leader unless he becomes a senator after that.”

Michael Peyrefitte

Reporter

“Do you have any interest in being the leader? You are a senator which makes you eligible.”

Michael Peyrefitte

“I have in interest in rebuilding the party. I think the party needs a lot rebuilding right now and as chairman I think I am in a good position to deal with all these constituency organizations and committees and that is where my energies lie.”

We asked the chairman if anyone has indicated interest in leading the party, but he says that he hasn’t received any indication of this from any of the seven members of the National Assembly.