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Tonight, no one's quite sure what's next in the always dramatic UDP. That's after Leader Shyne Barrow yesterday told us that Patrick Faber had effectively crossed the floor and he would call for a bye election. This is after Barrow was blindsided in a House Committee meeting by a letter Faber sent to the Chairman. The committee was meeting to consider disciplining Barrow for a rude email he sent to the House Speaker in August. And they were bolstered by an email from Faber - a fellow UDP member saying, quote, "As a member of the opposition, I wish to formally distance myself from the comments made by the Leader of the Opposition."
That letter was addressed to the chairman of the Constitution and Foreign Affairs Committee, Julius Espat who missed that meeting. But today we caught him at another event and asked him for his response to Faber's letter and the whole mess over the email:
Jules Vasquez:
"You did not to attend the meeting yesterday."
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"I had important work from MIDH to deal with and I asked an alternate to be able to chair it honorable Dr. Zabaneh did it."
Jules Vasquez:
"Okay but you were the addressee on the letter from Patrick Farber."
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"And I forwarded it to the pro-tem chairman."
Jules Vasquez:
"What did you think of the letter when you saw it?"
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"I think democracy is is alive."
Jules Vasquez:
"The leader of the UDP says that letter is tantamount to crossing the floor. What is your view of it?"
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"I have no view when it comes to the Leader of the Opposition because to me he's insignificant."
Jules Vasquez:
"But when you saw the letter and you saw this, the most senior parliamentarian UDP formally distancing himself from the remarks of his own leader. The written remarks. What? You must have been surprised."
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"You want me to tell you I was laughing, I was smiling, I was happy. No, it was a professional receiving of the letter. I says, Well, democracy is functioning. I followed it to the Chairman The Chairman made a decision."
Jules Vasquez:
"But you must have revealed a little in it."
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"You mean what? You tell me what you would have done."
Jules Vasquez:
"What I would have done is I would have said yes. I'd jump for joy. And I would have made news out of it. I would imagine you would say yes. Great opportunity to make politics out of this. Drive a wedge deeper into the heart of the shattered UDP."
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"In my new life I would be a Jules Vasquez. Maybe I'll be a happier man. [laughs] Jules. The Standing Orders is quite simple. It allows you to do many things, and all you have to do is say mea culpa. I apologize, Madam Speaker. And it's done dead right there and you move on. I've done it countless times. The problem with me is they never accept my apologies."
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"You know that. But it is what it is. You're dealing with a dictatorial style of governance compared to our side, which is a democratic style of governance. But I see the UDP, they're looking at how we handle things democratically and they are now opening up and voicing their opinion. Which style do you prefer?"
And though an apology may not seem as big of an issue to Espat, he believes that Shyne's refusal to apologize speaks for itself on the type of leader that he is, or isn't:
Jules Vasquez:
"But did you intentionally miss the meeting so as not to have to deal with a piddling Shyne related matter."
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"I'll deal with him on Friday so it doesn't matter."
Reporter:
"So just tell me what would be the process to do to somewhat to cross the floor and what would that look like?"
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"I'm not an expert at that and the way Attorneys derive opinions from the law varies from attorney to attorney. It's it's it would have to go to court and I personally looking at all angles don't I don't see a problem where you would have to go to that level. The man just said they agree that you should apologize."
"Apologize. Well, what's wrong with that? It allows you to say, you know something, maybe it wasn't the right arena to say what I said. Maybe I should have worded it in a better way. It makes you a leader."
Jules Vasquez:
"But he hasn't apologized, he's double down."
Julius Espat, Chairman, House Committee
"Because he's not a leader."
