Former UDP Port Loyola Representative Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez submits petition for recall of PUP Representative Gilroy Usher

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Former four-term United Democratic Party (UDP) Port Loyola area representative, Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez, has submitted a petition for the recall of first-term People’s United Party representative Gilroy Usher to Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam on Tuesday, January 16.

Martinez presented more than 1,700 signatures, well over the 30 percent threshold – in this case 1,485 – registered voters required for a recall petition. The constituency has just over 4,950 voters. If the total number of signatures above 30 percent is verified by the Elections and Boundaries Department after one month, a by-election is called for that electoral division.

Martinez had initially said in July 2023 that he would submit the petition by Usher’s birthday on September 8. He said he expected to have 50 percent of the registered voters by that date. He later set October 2 as the deadline, but it wasn’t until Tuesday that he made the submission with well under the 50 percent of registered voters but good enough to proceed.

Martinez said that he was satisfied with the number of voters who signed the petition for the recall: “If beggars were wishes, horses will ride. So don’t make us go down that road. I’m just saying the main thing is that we achieved the objective. We only need 30 percent, you know,” he told Channel 7 News.

When pressed that he couldn’t garner the 50 percent he had said he would get and that that meant he might not have the support of the electorate at a by election, Usher said not to get ahead of events, Martinez said, “That’s another case. You can’t put the cart ahead of the horse…The law speaks to 30 percent of the signature. What story people think or believe, that’s another case. But the 30 percent is in. Thirty percent of the registered voters in Port Loyola is 1,485.

He added, “I want to thank the people of Port Loyola for supporting a petition for a better representative.”

A by-election would require 65 percent of the division’s electorate to vote to be valid.

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