And turning from crime to politics…on Friday you saw Shyne Barrow digging in at his party headquarters. He says he's not going anywhere until a convention is held to install a new leader.
Well, tonight, Shyne stands more isolated than ever in that quest. His party chairman, Mike Peyrefitte, who has been Shyne's sword and his shield, amply defending his party leader - will do so. No more. He told us today that - after losing in Mesop it's time for Shyne to step aside.
Peyrefitte told us that he should follow the example set by Manuel Esquivel in 1998:
Michael Peyreffite, Chairman - UDP
"If you follow precedent and the principles of the United Democratic Party - and that was showcased in no better way than in 1998, I believe - when Sir Manuel Esquivel as the party leader and prime minister resigned and turned over the key, so to speak, to the honorable Dean Barrow. In my view, that is the current position of the United Democratic Party."
"The interim leader of the UDP at this moment is Hugo Patt, in my view. It's not Shyne Barrow. It's not Tracy Panton. It's Hugo Patt."
"And so the constitution of the party that we always follow in a situation like this is that an NPC is called. And then, a national convention is called within 90 days of the general election for us to select, quote unquote, a permanent leader, or a full leader, not an interim leader."
"So that is the situation that we are in. I will inform the Secretary-General today that we are to take steps to have an NPC. There are many things at an NPC that need to be cured. Decisions were made by senior and sober people in this party. And so there has to be a normalization of membership and normalization of people being in good standing. And once the NPC. votes for that then we go to a national convention."
"I think it's a foregone conclusion what will happen. But time will tell. I congratulate the honorable Tracy Panton on being the leader of the opposition and indeed the first female, leader of the opposition. But now, if she desires to be full leader of the party, she will need the support from the rank and file and the officers in the party."
"I've always said that if there was any question to anybody who is the leader of the UDP, there was never any question to me now and then who was the leader of the UDP. And the people would decide that on March 12th. On March 12th, the people elected Tracy Panton. They did not elect Shyne Barrow. So with Tracy Panton being one of five and two other of her people who were aligned with her winning, clearly she would be the leader of the opposition. And politics is a zero sum game and a winner takes all. So from the moment she's a leader of the opposition, I would say it's safe to put her in the pole position to be leader of the party. It's not automatic because there's a process we have to follow. But congratulations to her. Congratulations to all of those who won their seats."
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