The PUP has been forced to push back its Belmopan standard bearer convention to the end of August. This is after the party announced on Friday that it would postpone it by only one week - to this Sunday, July 8th - right after the court hearing is held on Friday.
But, the party now concedes that Friday's hearing may give rise to many issues - so it will now reset the date, supposedly to give those matters time to be settled.
And while that's the official position, the real winner in this is Arthur Saldivar - who will now be free to apply to run again. And this time his application will be reviewed by the vetting committee. The last time they just set it aside - taking the position that he was under suspension. Well, now, that position has apparently changed.
At a press conference today, the PUP Chairman Henry Usher - flanked by all three current Standard Bearer candidates and the divisional chairman - said that his party stands by its position - even if it is being more flexible:...
Henry Charles Usher, Chairman, P.U.P.
"Certainly we do not agree with the claim at all, the factual account of the claimant and we intend to resist the claim in its entirety on its merit. However, the disputes as to what transpired will likely lead to a triable matter, lead to a number of triable issues. And for that reason we have decided and the National Executive has decided to suspend the convention until the end of August and to reopen the application process to allow for the claimant to send in his application. The deadline for applications will be the thirteen of July. The claimant, if he wishes can send in his application and that application will be determine on its merits, as if the suspension, as if the disciplinary actions had never occurred."
Reporter
"Would it be your hope then that if the gentleman chooses to put in another application, for it to be properly screened, that he will just say that he abandons this what you believe is an inconsequential or a lawsuit that has little chance of success?"
Henry Charles Usher, Chairman, P.U.P.
"Having his application accepted and vetted is really the foundation of his claim. So I don't know why there would still be a claim after that."
"Right now the focus of the party ladies and gentlemen is re-registration and its certainly unfair to have the Belmopan constituency in limbo while this process is taking its course through the courts or elsewhere. We need to make sure that the democratic process is followed. We need to make sure that the constitution of the party is adhere to and we need to make sure that the people of Belmopan have an opportunity to decide who their candidate will be."
Usher said that Patrick Jason Andrews - whose application was rejected - can now also re-apply to run. It's seems like a royal blue mess, but one person who looked like he was having fun is former UDP Minister Melvin Hulse. He's the advisor to PUP candidate Michelle Rodriguez and appeared with her at today's meeting at the Party Leader's Office.
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