But while Faber retains his seat, that doesn't mean the inner wheels of the party still aren't turning against him. There are reports that those who championed the recall petition will push for a national convention at the earliest possible time, and Faber's leadership position is expected to be challenged again. We asked both Peyrefitte and Faber about this possibility.
Courtney Menzies:
"Sir do you think the NPC will push for a leadership convention in the near future?"
Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman
"It's not a matter of pushing for a national convention, the constitution of the party tells you when you're going to have a convention."
Courtney Menzies:
"But sometimes you guys waive it."
Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman
"Well under extreme circumstances but there's no reason to waive anything under the constitution as far as I know."
Reporter:
"But the leader of the opposition has suggested as such, that if they weren't successful today, they would try to do something to push that forward."
Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman
"And I suggest that I marry Rihanna next week Friday, man we can suggest anything, the constitution is there and we will follow the constitution."
Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Party Leader
"The truth is that I have not even served a year yet a leader of this party. The constitution of this party allows for any leader to get a two year term, I was elected in July but did not assume the full leadership of the party remember until November and even those who were elected in the February convention still have not reach their two years mark. And that was because that was an abnormal situation brought on by an amendment of a 2016 convention in Dangriga where we agreed that we would not have a convention until February. So those who are claiming that a convention is due in October, they're absolutely wrong in assuming that, in fact while the constitution talks about a convention in every other year, that work of a convention starts in January where delegates and executive committees have got to be selected even from in January and that work certainly did not happen. In fact you saw from the exception of one committee, all the delegates were the same committees that were selected from 2018 I believe, 2019. So they have certainly now come to a close of their tenure as delegates and the party will now move swiftly to hold constituency convention to ensure that we have proper caretakers. I maintain that those colleagues who did not win an election and were now properly selected as caretaker, we only had one really out of place and so we will now move to make sure things are now in the rightful place, caretakers are selected properly, constituency committees are selected by the right mechanism and that they understand fully their roles to keep the party functioning even in the absence of a constituency leader because that is really what our constitution speaks to."
