On Wednesday, UDP Chairman Patrick Faber wrote to Orange Walk East Area Representative Marcel Cardona telling him that the party had accepted his "constructive resignation."
Cardona fired back the next day to say he had not resigned and was not about to; he said what he did was within his rights as a backbencher.
Today we spoke to Chairman Faber and asked him, what next - and if this could end up in court….
Hon. Patrick Faber
"I don't know why he would say that he is not coming out of the House; no part of our letter suggested that that would be the
case. As I indicated in my interview with you and other media houses the day that we did write to him, this is merely to say to him that we believe his actions have come up to his saying he doesn't wish any longer to be a part of the UDP and for all intents and purposes that was only to when we go back to the house to say to the speaker 'listen this man can't sit with us, he is not a UDP'."
Jules Vasquez
"You can see where there might be a problem going forward if indeed he is remove from sitting there in the back bench and some other seating arrangement and he resist that because he is still a UDP and all that. You can see how it could foreseeable (this is speculation) end up in court."
Hon. Patrick Faber
"Well, yes that may well be the case. I believe the Speaker will have to make some kind of ruling against him, I don't think the Speaker has made any move to suggest that something should be done to him. As the United Democratic Party say that he is not a member of our party and demand that he not sit with us. But you are right Jules, it's not the end of the situation, we don't expect Mr. Cardona as he has already shown to go gentle into that good night; we expect that he will continue to fight. All that we are saying is continue fighting but not as a member of the UDP."
And while Faber and his party will insist that Cardona be moved from the backbench of the Government side, the man who sits right in front of Cardona isn't that sure. Pickstock Representative Wilfred Elrington sits right in front of Cardona at the far end of the front-bench. He today told us he would advocate a more measured approach:..
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"This is not unusual. I think that one always needs moderation in one's dealings with these things. Abraham Lincoln use to like to say and it is written that 'never respond to anything in anger, give yourself time to think about it. Don't react, respond, but take time to think about it' and I think that that is all that is needed in this present situation to resolve it. We need time and people who are prepare to dialogue. I dint see it as the end of the world, I see it as a natural maturing process. It happens with all of us whether at home or at school or in politics. This happens."
Jules Vasquez
"So would you urge the party to keep him within its ranks rather than accept his constructive resignation?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"If it were left to me I would say let him be. That's my own view. I tend to be a very moderate person. I think that if a person wants to be associated with you I think you should leave them. They have their different views and opinion. That is what democracy is all about. If in fact everybody talk the same way and behave in the same way you'll have a terrible boring country."
No date has been set for the next house-sitting when Cardona either will or won't take up his new seating in a nether-space….
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