Are U.D.P. Insiders Betraying the Party?

As we’ve reported, there is a move afoot by a group of four, including area representatives Patrick Faber and Tracy Panton, to unseat Shyne Barrow as party leader.  A call was made on Monday for a national convention to be held within the next ninety days.  That request was later denied by U.D.P. Chairman Mike Peyrefitte, who wrote to Second Deputy Party Leader Beverly Williams informing her of his reasons for doing so.  According to Barrow, at last year’s national convention, a motion was passed indicating that the leadership of the party will not be challenged until after the 2025 general elections.  That agreement, he says, was clearly stated to all delegates who attended the convention.

 

Shyne Barrow, Party Leader, U.D.P.

“Five hundred and twenty-one delegates, which is the highest authority of the United Democratic Party, re-elected me and the other leaders to serve not just for the typical two-year term, but to serve until the next general elections.  And it was made explicit, it was not just a normal election, there was the election in due order and then there was another motion to the floor of the national convention which again is the highest authority, that state explicitly that there will be no more national conventions, there will be no leadership challenge until after the next general elections.  Those who voted for that, that now want to rescind that, should have thought about it when they made that decision because with that decision, they relinquished their rights.  That decision, by implication, suspended the parts of the constitution that deal with leadership.  If not, then what would have been the point of passing a motion to say that there would be no more national convention as it relates to leadership elections until after the next general elections.  The intention of that was to protect against exactly what we see happening now.  The only people that are benefiting from what is happening now is the People’s United Party and those that are working with them for thirty silver coins.”