Legal Advice Guided Decision to Appoint Collet Montejo Re-Districting Field Supervisor, says P.M.

P.M. Briceño also responded to U.D.P Chairman Michael Peyrefitte’s letter to Governor General Froyla Tzalam calling for Senator Collet Montejo to vacate his seat in the upper house. As we have reported, Senator Montejo has been appointed as Field Supervisor for the pending re-districting exercise. The Opposition is of the belief that Montejo, as the Deputy Secretary General of the People’s United Party, should not serve in this capacity on the Re-districting Task Force. Here is how the prime minister responded to the Opposition’s concerns about Montejo.

Prime Minister John Briceño

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Mike Peyrefitte, Senator Peyrefitte is a lawyer and obviously he does not have a lot of private work so he has a lot of free time on his hands. So, everything he wants to go to court. He is not a successful private lawyer, obviously. So, he has written a letter stating that Collet Montejo should be removed from the Senate. We had legal advice when that decision as made and the point is, Collet Montejo is a part of a task force. He is not even being paid to try to advice or to assist the redistricting exercise. So, obviously the case he is trying to make it makes no sense. So, we are not really concerned about that matter. I think what he needs to concerned about is that under the laws of the Elections and Boundaries Commission a member of the Elections and Boundaries Commission cannot be politically active. One of their members, Mr. August is the Secretary General and very active politically. He should not be in the Election and Boundaries Commission.”