Tomorrow, the PUP will hold a national party council meeting. That’s the second highest governing body of the party and it’s a big group where every division is represented by its chairman, two delegates, the national party executive along with all members of parliament, town councillors and the party leader’s 10 delegates - in all about 150 persons.
The NPC usually meets every three months but this is the first one for this year and the first one since the embarrassing showing at the polls in the March municipal elections. And so the question that’s been going around in political circles is will it be a day of reckoning for party leader John Briceno? It’s no secret that the whisperings about the viability of Briceno’s leadership started the day after the disappointing showing in the municipals. The PUP lost ground overall and failed to win even in Orange Walk Town, which is Briceno’s base of power.
Many in the party seemed to feel that was perilously close to political oblivion for the grand old party. And so, it’s also no secret that deputy leader Mark Espat has been visiting with prominent party personalities in different divisions discussing the possibilities for another leadership change. Briceno has been doing the same, trying to consolidate support and giving party followers the message that the party did not lose ground in the last election – though the statistical evidence points in the other direction.
So with deputies Espat and Cordel Hyde on one side and Briceno on the other, believe it or not, the balance of power seems to come right back around to the old guard, yes, the same Said Musa, Ralph Fonseca and others loyal to that wing of the party. According to our sources, both sides have courted the old guard, but there’s no telling which way they will swing, if at all.
We’ll know tomorrow judging by who shows up to the meeting and whether any insurrection against Briceno’s leadership is launched from the floor – though, best sources suggest none is likely. We do know that just having the meeting is a victory for Briceno as members of the national executive opposed it at a preliminary meeting on Wednesday – but the lost that vote.
So the meeting will proceed tomorrow and if Briceno emerges unscathed, his leadership remains intact – even if his hold on power is still under threat. We’ll let you know how it goes.
