P.U.P. challengers working but not yet united

Preliminary sparring continues in what promises to be a no holds barred fight for the leadership of the Peoples’ United Party. While the P.U.P. hierarchy continues to line up behind the candidacy of Freetown representative Francis Fonseca, former G-7 members and area reps John Briceño, Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde are taking their case for change to the party’s rank and file. One major problem, however, is that the three insurgents have yet to unite behind a single challenger to Fonseca. Briceño and Espat both want the top spot and while they are yet to come to terms they have at least been talking. One result is that Briceño has written a letter to Fonseca, who is currently party chairman, supporting an earlier request by Espat and Hyde for what they call fair elections at the March thirtieth party convention. Specifically, they are requesting that the number of delegates be increased from one per hundred votes received in the last election to one per twenty-five. This would mean four times as many delegates—almost two thousand—and presumably make it tougher for Fonseca and his supporters to control the convention. The other request is that the list of delegates be made available to prospective candidates at least a week before the convention. While it is doubtful that either request will be granted, the challengers hope that the failure to comply will convince wavering delegates that the old guard is incapable of responding to the realities of the post February seventh political landscape.