Last night on this newscast you heard UDP Leader Shyne Barrow talk about the possibility of forming a coalition with his adversary Tracy Panton's Alliance for democracy.

Well, tonight we know that won't fly.

Panton - who maintains firmly that she is the rightful UDP leader - sent out a release under the official UDP letterhead this morning, saying, quote,

"The United Democratic Party (UDP) categorically rejects the offer made by former leader, Hon. Moses "Shyne" Barrow, communicated publicly through an interview. This so-called proposal, suggesting that Mr. Barrow will refrain from running candidates in Collet, Albert, and Queen's Square in exchange for remaining involved in the Party's leadership, is unacceptable." End quote.

Minutes later, we got a very different message - under the same letterhead - and this one came from the UDP Secretariat. It says, quote, "The United Democratic Party condemns the continued deception and fraud being perpetrated by Tracy Panton and her Alliance for Democracy Party.Media houses are asked to please refrain from disseminating false information about the UDP so as to not expose themselves to the litigation that will proceed against Tracy Panton and her Alliance Party."End quote.

Now as any viewer can tell, this is all getting quite silly - which is why news on this ongoing dispute will heretofore be preceded with a special bumper:"