Shyne Barrow, “No national convention on October twentieth.”

A national convention has been called for October twentieth and, according to Shyne Barrow, the gathering of U.D.P. delegates from across the country isn’t sanctioned by the United Democratic Party.  The special unity convention was announced by the Alliance for Democracy earlier this month, amid a widening chasm within the U.D.P.  Since then, Albert Area Representative Tracy Panton has been touting the upcoming event as an opportunity for the voices of avid supporters to be heard.  On Sunday, the chairman of the U.D.P. sent out a public notice to all delegates, echoing the executive’s decision that members of the Alliance, including Patrick Faber, Tracy Panton and John Saldivar, have been kicked out of the party.  Chairman Michael Peyrefitte also reminded that, “any decisions derived from this event are without substance and with no legal bearing on the U.D.P. and will therefore not be recognized by the U.D.P.”

 

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

“There is no national convention on October twentieth.  It’s similar to me coming to the House and telling the Speaker you have to vacate those seats and I don’t agree with your decision.  And I implore the media to be responsible, John Saldivar is not a member of the UDP.  Patrick Faber is not a member of the UDP.  Tracy Panton is not a member of the UDP.  So whatever activity or convention that they will be having is not a UDP convention, we have an elected party chairman.  We have an elected leadership executive. So what if I get up now on the adjournment and say November sixth, we’re gonna have general elections and I invite everybody to come out, are you going to say well if everybody comes out and votes for the UDP then you will be the prime minister, Shyne?  It doesn’t work like that. It is in the UDP constitution that their behavior is illegal and their behavior warrants expulsion, and it is in the UDP precedent from the former party chairman, Mr. Patrick Faber, under the leadership of Dean Barrow, that the NPC, according to him, CEC, everyone voted that due to the behavior of that member he was constructively resigned.  So according to our party, there is precedent, according to the violations of the constitution and the NPC, they are no longer members of the party.  That was not a Shyne Barrow decision, that was not a Mike Peyrefitte decision.  We voted on that as a party and we move forward.”