UDP Chairman denies petition for Party Leader recall, cites unconstitutional behavior by Tracy Panton

Published by [email protected] at August 28, 2024

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Posted: Wednesday, August 28, 2024. 2:10 pm CST.

By Horace Palacio: In a firm response to a petition submitted by Tracy Panton for a National Convention to recall the Party Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Chairman Michael Peyrefitte has rejected the request, citing it as falling short of the required threshold of signatures and accusing Panton of unconstitutional actions.

The petition, which gathered 173 signatures, fell short of the 176 1/3 signatures necessary to trigger a recall of the Party Leader under normal circumstances. However, Peyrefitte’s letter did not solely hinge on this numerical shortfall. The Chairman outlined a series of actions by Panton that he described as unconstitutional, including her public criticism of Party Officials and the formation of a new political entity, the “Alliance for Democracy.” These actions, according to Peyrefitte, have led to her constructive resignation from the UDP, thereby disqualifying her from submitting any petition under the party’s rules.

Peyrefitte’s letter emphasized that the National Convention of August 13, 2023, had unanimously resolved that the current Party Leader would serve until after the next General Elections, suspending all Constitutional provisions related to leadership questions. He further noted that the National Convention had anticipated the “destructive behavior” that has since been displayed by Panton and others in their struggle for leadership.

“The UDP Constitution allows me as the Chair of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) to call a National Convention in case of an emergency,” Peyrefitte stated, “however, there is absolutely no emergency that has arisen since the August 13, 2023, National Convention decision.”

In his letter, Peyrefitte also referenced a resolution passed by the National Party Council (NPC) on April 7, 2024, which reaffirmed the decision of the 2023 National Convention to endorse Party Leader Hon. Dr. Shyne Barrow and the Leadership Executive until after the next General Elections. The resolution further committed the NPC to resist any attempts to disturb this decision, affirming the Party Leader’s full confidence.

Peyrefitte concluded by stating that while the UDP Constitution may no longer concern Panton and her new party, he responded in the interest of maintaining public record.

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