Yesterday, Albert Area Rep Tracy Panton told us why she wasn't at the UDP's Tuesday morning demonstration in the city. But she was at the National Party Council Meeting on Saturday where that body agreed unanimously to denounce public attacks on the Party by members.
The motion passed demanded that all Party members, especially elected Officials and elected Members of the House immediately remove all public attacks and criticisms of the Party from social media.
Albert Division Rep, Tracy Panton, was in the meeting and she told us more:
Hon. Tracy Panton, Area Rep., Albert Division
"The consensus of the NPC was that we find a way to move forward by addressing some of the issues that are in the public domain in the internal forums. I said that the original motion that was put on the floor was amended. It was amended based on some suggestions I made, and the Vice Chairman of the party made. In his case, the amendment had to do with creating more regular opportunities for the voices of elected and appointed officials to be heard at regular meetings of the NPC. For more forums for the executive committees in the various constituencies to have a say, a voice of what they perceive may be happening in the party and to get clarifications. And I also asked for the inclusion in that motion that we respect and adhere to the constitution of the party and that we also ensure that decisions of the NPC who is the highest making decision body as you know, of the party outside of the National Convention to be binding which it ought to be. Based on those amendments and based on agreements by the majority on the floor, they think, I made have heard one objection. I certainly am prepared to respect the decision made by the NPC and to adhere to the motion that was passed on the floor. I say that with the reservation that if those agreements are not upheld, then of course I would have to then revert to speaking more publicly on the issues affecting us as an institution."
But one member who was absent from the meeting was Patrick Faber, who is out of the country, and wasn't able to attend virtually. Panton explained that there was a recommendation to remove him as a party official, but added that she doesn't think the NPC should be able to make such a decision.
Hon. Tracy Panton, Area Rep., Albert Division
"I haven't been able to speak to him since the NPC. I don't know, he did not attend the meeting, he was promised that he - he's away as you know, out of the country - and there was a commitment made to him that he would be able to join the meeting virtually. That commitment was not upheld so he did not participate in the discussions. He did not have the benefit of hearing from other colleagues who were on the floor and so I don't know currently, what his decision is. There was a decision - a recommendation I should say - made by the central executive committee that Mr. Faber be removed as official of not good standing. I maintain that that's not a decision for the central executive committee. If indeed there is a formal complaint against Mr. Faber as there was against Mr. Kelvin, then that matter needs to be addressed, reviewed and considered by the integrity or the ethics committee of the part who, in my interpretation and understanding of the UDP constitution, is the only group that can exercise such a reprimand."
The National Party Council also set a deadline for individuals interested in running as Standard Bearers of the United Democratic Party to apply by September 30, 2022.
