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PSU Power Struggle, President Unfazed
posted (May 29, 2018)
Yesterday, we told you about the upheaval from last Saturday's Annual General Meeting of the Public Service Union. The President, Doreth Obermayer Cayetano, is facing a resolution calling for her immediate resignation based on a vote of no confidence. She has to work for her union as leader for an entire year with this draft resolution hanging over her head.

As we reported, at the very end of the AGM, the Union's Resolution Committee, which is chaired by Jacqueline Willoughby, placed the resolution on the floor for discussion. All resolutions, which are given to the Committee by any PSU Member, must be put on the floor for debate, and put to a vote, no matter how frivolous they may be.

The meeting ground to a halt because President Cayetano's supporters reportedly refused to allow that resolution to go through its process without proper justification.

We're told that those supporters interpreted that resolution as a personal creation of Willoughby herself but our information is that it actually came from other members of the PSU. She encouraged those supporters of the President, that if they did not want it passed, they could vote it down.

Instead of the resolution being debated and then voted upon, the membership decided to postpone it until next year.

We spoke with the president via telephone today and she told us that when she heard the resolution put on the floor, her first reaction was to consider for the possible justifications for it. She said that she basically wanted to know where she failed as president, for this resolution to have credibility. A few members asked for that same information, and according to the president, none were forthcoming.

Despite this attempt to remove her, she still plans to move forward with business as usual because the work of the union still needs to continue.

The resolution calls for her resignation, as well as those of the Secretary General and the 2nd Vice President of the union.

And that is all we have for you tonight, we close with footage from the festival of the arts showcase where students from Cayo and Stann Creek took the stage. Enjoy and join us back here tomorrow.





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