Now, if you pose the same question to the Albert Area Rep, she will tell you that the AFD's UDP unity convention is full steam ahead. She insists that she and the Collet Area Rep are still full-fledged members of the UDP because the proper procedures to expel them weren't followed. She added that if they don't go through with the convention, it would leave the path wide open for a dictatorship in the UDP. She's also confident that they will have the support of the delegates come Sunday.
Courtney Menzies:
"We just spoke to the Leader downstairs and he said there is no UDP convention happening Sunday and there are rules and laws and we must abide by them and you guys cannot have this convention under the banner of the UDP because you guys aren't members of the UDP."
Tracy Panton, Area Rep., Albert
"We absolutely can. We have not been removed as members of the UDP because you cannot unilaterally or arbitrarily remove anybody from the party. There is a process that is outlined in the constitution that tell you how members are removed. That process has not been followed. You can't declare us to be not UDP. The constitution also says very clearly that 24% or 1/4 of the delegates of the National Convention at any time can convene a National Convention by petition. We have superseded that threshold. That threshold is 132 delegates, 232 delegates signed that petition. I want to assure the Belizean people that everything that we are doing on Sunday, we're following the letter of the constitution because we can't say that we're taking action because the democracy of the party is being eroded and then act ultra vires to that. We are following the constitution and the constitution of the party allows for inclusion, it allows for voices of dissent, it allows for participatory approach to making decisions within this party and all of that has been thrown out, disregarded, dismissed, and when you don't agree with the current Leader of the Opposition, he silences you. He removes you as he has done today from the House Committees, he removes you from the internal committees of the party, he removes you from the chat groups. That, my friends, is not democracy."
"I'm very confident that we will supersede the threshold. It is a simple majority, 50% +1, that would be 265 delegates, I can tell you as of today we have delegate count of over 300."
Due to the heavy weather on Saturday - the convention venue has been moved from the Bird's Isle to the Civic. Our team. Will be there and we'll have full coverage.
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