And "in short order" is when the PUP is suggesting UDP Minister Rene Montero could face criminal charges. As we've been reporting, the Minister of Natural Resources - speaking in the house of representatives has accused his office of being involved in some suspect land dealings.
For the UDP under Patrick Faber - which is trying to distance itself from the party's old guard - which led it to a ruinous defeat at the polls in November of last year - it's a cute situation. That's because the organising principle of any political party is loyalty first; but the reason parties exist is to win elections - and you can't do that carrying a political albatross of corruption. Today, the party leader and chairman seemed to adequately express that dualism:
Hon. Patrick Faber - Leader of the Opposition "I will not be cornered into one situation with the former minister, in fact you've heard me on the record say repeatedly that the UDPs leadership will not support any kind of wrong doing that has happened in the past, we will not go witch hunting, that is not our nature and cannot be the nature if it is our party but where it is demonstrated that the serious wrong doing has been done by any member, former member of this party, we will deal with those issues and we will confront those issues."
Michael Peyrefitte - Chairman, UDP "You say stand by him but stand by him for what? He hasn't been accused of doing anything, he hasn't been charged with anything, so until the DPP and or the police department say that they have a credible charge to bring, then we will analyse it and view it at that time but stand by him because of PUP ministers are saying? That's not an accusation in our books. To this day, all that they say that they have, he has not been charged and you cannot say that the UDP is exerting any influence over the DPP or the police department."
