U.D.P Recall Team Challenges Chairman’s Decision to Reject Petition

The U.D.P. Recall Team, headed by Vice Chair Alberto August, called a press conference today to challenge the decision of Chairman Michael Peyrefitte to declare that a threshold has not been met to trigger a recall of the party’s leadership. August shared that he is of the view that the faction that wants their leader, Shyne Barrow recalled, submitted more than sufficient valid signatures. He made reference to the U.D.P Constitution that provides the process for the removal of a U.D.P Leader.

Alberto August

Alberto August, Vice Chair, U.D.P.

“At Article Nine – Seven, under the heading “Recall of the Leader,” the Constitution says “the Leader may at any time be removed from the office of the Party Leader.” Listen carefully now: “following a petition for his or her removal signed by at least one-third of the registered delegates to the National Convention. Subsequent to that, it goes a to vote of at least two-thirds of the registered delegates in attendance, voting in favour of the petition. On Friday last, we presented that petition to the Secretary-General for the verification of two hundred signatures – well above the constitutional requirement. In fact, we heard on the news last evening when none other than the national chairperson of the party inform the nation that the signatures were intact and that he does not believe that the vice chairperson would present fake, bogus, or forged signatures for verification. After conducting the verification of names and signatures, the response from the national chairperson indicates nine signatures of legitimate concern. Four signatures, he wrote, were of persons who he says are alternate delegates, therefore unauthorized to sign the petition. Secondly, he said that three signatures were from persons who did not appear on the list of delegates. And thirdly, there were two persons, he said, who had resigned. While we might be inclined to concede the first four signatures, we can most certainly challenge the other five. But let’s say for example, in order to make a long process shorter, we concede all nine of those signatures. That is going to leave one hundred and ninety-one valid signatures, which is more than enough to constitutionally trigger a recall.”