P.U.P. is (Mostly) One; National Convention Intended to Strengthen Unity

In some corners there has been talk of discord within the People’s United Party, a perceived lack of unity that continues to affect the P.U.P. at the polls.  In our interview, we asked the party leader if the imminent challenge is a deliberate move to unseat him by factions within his organization that are dissatisfied with his leadership.

Isani Cayetano

“Do you believe, at this point, that there are forces within the P.U.P. that are working to see your removal, in a sense, as the leader of the party?”

John Briceño

John Briceño, P.U.P. Leader

“No.  I think that for the first time in a very, very long time we can see that the party is truly united.  We have twenty-eight constituencies that have already said that they want to continue to support my leadership.  So that in effect is showing that the party is united.  But like in every big family, you will always have differences of opinion and that is a good thing, we should encourage it any organization and I encourage it in the P.U.P. that there can be other people that think differently and that it can give you as leader, the opportunity or allow you to be able to say, “let me see what they have to say.”  And then maybe they might have a point, maybe not, but it opens up the party and that is what I’ve said back in January 2016, that we need to open up the party.  We need to follow the constitution, we need to have monthly executive meetings, we need to have every quarter a National Party Council meeting and we’re coming to the end of the term.  We have not had a national convention since 2010.  So for those that would want to create trouble or mischief, if we did not call an election or a national convention this year, then when November comes then they are going to be saying well what happened to the party leader, now he’s not living up to the constitution, he wants to extend his term.  And that’s not what I want; I want to follow the constitution, so we have the convention.”