UDP’s Alliance for Democracy Pushes for National Party Council Meeting Amid Leadership Dispute

The United Democratic Party’s Alliance for Democracy continues to demand party’s leadership hold a National Party Council meeting. Today, the group sent another letter to UDP Party Chairman Michael Peyrefitte after its previous motion was denied earlier this month. The group wants Shyne Barrow removed as the Party Leader but claims the Peyrefitte is blocking their attempts to revamp the executive. The campaign’s driving force, Tracy Panton, the UDP Albert Area Representative, spoke about the efforts and why the alliance continues to demand an NPC. 

Tracy Panton, UDP Albert Area Representative: “We feel it’s important that there be a discussion on what’s going on internally and trying to find a way in which we can move forward in the interest of the party but more importantly in the interest of having a robust opposition for the country. There’s no provision in the constitution of the party that says you have to grin and bear it. If you have the requisite number of signatures any decision of the NPC or even any decision of the National Convention can be reversed. You have a right to change your mind. There’s a threshold you have to meet and once you met that threshold then the matter is tabled for consideration. The problem that we’re having is that we can’t even have a discussion. We can’t even have a meeting to discuss or to find a way forward. There has been a complete shut out if you will of being able to engage in any dialogue internally and of course frustrations are high and certainly people have to understand that this is not standing up to be disruptive, none at all. We all want to put the party on its best footing but there has to be accountability, there has to be transparency, there has to be a sense of fair play in how the party conducts its business.”

Panton says she feels as though the Chairman has been biased throughout the situation given his responses on the matter. She is now calling for Peyrefitte to respect their request and explained that the group is now looking at its legal options. 

Tracy Panton, UDP Albert Area Representative: “I think he’s completely biased. I think the chairman has shown his complete bias in this situation which is unfortunate. He is the guardian, the caretaker of the constitution of the party. He should help to facilitate this dialogue not to shut it down and I really can’t understand. The chairman as you know is legally trained, he understands the implications of moving away from a democratic process to a more totalitarian approach and so it’s unacceptable in my opinion that the chairman and the vice chairman have decided that they are not going to act in the best interest of the membership of the party. We are getting some legal advise whether we seek an injunction and the removal of standard bearers and caretakers of these divisions who were endorsed, in some cases elected in some cases. But there are other provisions in the constitution that we haven’t utilized. We hope we didn’t have to utilize but we may have to go there for example there’s the possibility of a recall petition we have those tools if you will available to us. We’re trying to be reasonable. We’re trying to find a way where we can – we’re bleeding right and to stop the bleeding and move forward as the decision makers of this party. This is not an attempt of anyone in this party to be disruptive. It is an attempt for us to right our ship to ensure that there is proper accounting, proper transparency and has to be a sense of fair play for all involved in this process.”

The Chairman has told Love News that he doesn’t intend to support moves he believes will damage the UDP.