Today's press encounter with Courtenay gave the press an opportunity to ask him about the lawsuit that PUP politician Arthur Saldivar has brought against his party.
Saldivar is attempting to be accepted as a candidate in the Belmopan Standard Bearer's convention, but his first application was not even considered. He asserts that his party is being unilateral and unfair, and that they aren't following the party's constitution properly.
His lawsuit is sort of on pause right now, so that the PUP's vetting committee can review the applications from him and other interested candidates who would want to apply a second time. At this time, there is no indication if Saldivar has gotten the break he is hoping for, but he has told us that if this second application fails, then he will continue with his lawsuit against the PUP.
He's attached Eamon Courtenay, the PUP's Legal Advisor as part of his claim, and so, the press asked Courtenay for his comments on Saldivar's lawsuit. He didn't pull any punches when he asserted that Saldivar needs to accept that the party just plain doesn't want him. Here are those stinging remarks:
Eamon Courtenay
"I am a victim of Mr. Saldivar's misguided legal claim. I do not understand and I speak for myself, why it is that Mr. Saldivar believes that he has a right to represent a party where a party doesn't want him to represent us. His coming to court to force a political party to make a legal decision in his favor, in my view, I hope will never prevail. He is not a fit and proper person to represent the People's United Party and if the People's United Party choose him as a candidate, then I will sue and challenge him to represent the party, since litigation is where this is all going to end up."
Reporter
"Are you then saying that his argument that his constitutional right under the party's constitution was breach, that that holds no value?"
Eamon Courtenay
"It is preposterous and it is ridiculous. What Mr. Saldivar does not want to accept is that we do not want him. That is what he should get in his head; that we do not want him as one of our candidates. He can come to court as many times as he wants. At the end of the day he will not represent the party even if I have to sue him."
Reporter
"What about the argument that it is the people that should decide?"
Eamon Courtenay
"Well he can run as an independent."
We'll seek to follow up with Saldivar tomorrow.
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