The notion to push out Saldivar and Grijlava came from the clause in the UDP's constitution that candidates who have lost three elections cannot offer themselves for office again. Obviously that has been waived, but what about the party chairman? As lead organizer of the party politically, he's got a NUMBER of losses under his belt. We asked him when he'll know if its time to go:
Jules Vasquez
"There is a constitutional clause in the party's constitution so that it does not become enamored with what the poet Leonard Cohen would call "beautiful losers" and are you among those beautiful losers in so far as you have presided over - I can't enumerate them offhand - at least 6 to 7 successive losses at the polls."
"Should they also look at replacing you, Mr. Chairman?"
Mike Peyreffite, UDP Chairman
"Of course, you should always be looking to replace anybody. Nobody is, this is not, as I said earlier, this this is not a dictatorship. This is not this is not anything like that. Anybody can be replaced. Anybody can be told, listen to me. You served your time The minute my party tells me that, sir, I'm gone. I mean, you know, I mean, nobody is anywhere forever, you know?"
"But I do value a lot of the people will say, Boy, Mike, since you've been chairman, it's been bad, you know, with all this fighting and everything. But maybe if you weren't, they would be worse. So at least we have not drawn blood yet. And I take pride in that so….Anybody can do better. Anybody can do worse."
"And I don't take myself seriously to the point where I think that I am irreplaceable in a shape or form. The day will come when that will come. And I can assure you, I can assure you I am not chairman for life."
Jules Vasquez
"How will you know though when it tips to that point where you have become an albatross around the neck of the party."
Mike Peyreffite, UDP Chairman
"What I can tell you about me is that nobody will tell me when it's time for me to leave. I will make that determination. I was voted in by the National convention to be the chairman. There are provisions within the Constitution of the party that you can call a national convention and can remove me if you want. People are free to do that."
"But most people have told me that the they want me to stay, at least for now during these trying times. So at the very least, when the daggers are drawn, we are not actually used."
