The race for the UDP Convention in Caribbean Shores in heating up - but tonight, it's officially a two way contest. As we first reported last night, Santiago Santino Castillo has bowed out. The former area rep - who was the last UDP to win the Shores back in 2012 - made to official today; he's stepping aside, but he's not happy about it.
In a statement which he gave exclusively to 7News, Castillo says:
"When I gave up my seat to Darrell Bradley, I did it for greater good of my party without asking for anything in return. Consequently, when I announced my candidacy for Caribbean Shores on May 10th via Facebook, I was sure I would have the support of both the Party Leader and the party. However, the PM called me last week Thursday to tell me he would be supporting Leila Peyrefitte due to her work in Caribbean Shores for the Referendum. Obviously so would the UDP hierarchy. As I told the P.M., I was his Minister of State during my time in Government and there is no way I can run in a Convention without his endorsement and unequivocal support. Consequently, I will NO LONGER CONTEST the seat in Caribbean Shores."
That's the sound of a candidate spurned, and, indeed, Castillo, who stepped aside for Darrell Bradley in 2015, has been serially dismissed by the UDP, even after he took one for the team. And it was in vain, because Bradley famously went on to squander a huge vote surplus and lost the division by 160 votes, after Castillo had won it by almost 700 votes three years earlier.
But, it's over for Castillo politically now, and the focus now turns to the remaining candidates, Leila Peyrefitte and Lee Mark Chang. Indeed, reports from the UDP say the Prime Minister and Party Leader is supporting Leila Peyrefitte. We are told Deputy Patrick Faber is also expected to support her. So she has the backing of the party power base and has been active in the division for some time now, which surely makes her the early frontrunner.
All that would seem to put Chang at a disadvantage. But, he is a not a candidate to be taken lightly; he has experience, resources and is hungry for the job - so much so that he yesterday gave up a prestigious seat as President of the Senate.
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