13 days ago, the UDP National Party Council meeting erupted into chaos when a powerful faction of the party insisted that certain business be tabled and that request was denied.
That faction, led by Tracey Teagar Panton, Patrick Faber, Beverly Williams and John Saldivar then presented to the press a petition for a new National Convention. The chairman rejected that in writing the day after it was submitted.
Since then he has constantly ignored multiple requests in writing from that group which now calls itself the Alliance for Democracy.
Now, led by Tracey Taeger Panton - who the group wants to be elected as party leader - they are moving forward with a press offensive.
Today at her office she told us that Chairman Peyrefitte continues to ignore the party's confusion and we asked - so what are they going to do about it?:
Tracy Taegar Panton, UDP, Albert Area Representative
"We have been champions of following the constitution. It is the most important institutional tool that the United Democratic Party has at its disposal and so we have written to him yet again asking for an urgent meeting of the national party council. We have attached the requisite signatures that are required by the constitution for this meeting to be convened and we are hoping that he will respond. We had called for one earlier in June and it took us 7 weeks for a meeting to convene and then that fell apart and so we are trying again. We feel it is important that there be a discussion on what's going on internally and trying to find a way in which we can move forward in the interest of the party but more importantly in the Interest of having a robust opposition for the country."
Reporter
"The chairman hasn't necessarily responded to the letters that you've written to him. Is he being in a sense inflexible?"
Tracy Taegar Panton, UDP, Albert Area Representative
"I think he is being completely biased. I think the chairman has shown his complete bias in this situation which is unfortunate. He is the guardian, the caretaker of the constitution of the party. He should help to facilitate this dialogue not to shut it down."
"And I really can't understand, you know. The chairman, as you know is legally trained he understands the implications of moving away from a democratic process to a more totalitarian approach and so it is unacceptable in my opinion that the chairman and the vice chairman have decided that they are not going to act in the best interest of the membership of the party."
Reporter
"So what is your next move in the event that he does not write back and continues to not acknowledge any of the letters or anything? What is your next step?"
Tracy Taegar Panton, UDP, Albert Area Representative
"Well there are a number of things that we are considering as outlined in the constitution. We are getting some legal advice whether we take or seek an injunction on the removal of standard bearers and caretakers of these divisions who were endorsed in some cases, elected in some cases. But there are other provisions in the constitution that we haven't utilized we hope we didn't have to utilize but we may have to go there for example there is the possibility of a recall petition. We have those tools if you will available to us and we are trying to be reasonable. We are trying to find a way where we can, you know? We are bleeding and to stop the bleeding and move forward as the decision makers of this party feels it's best. It's not me, it's not the current party leader, it's not the current chairman, it's not those of us who champion the constitution, it's the delegates of this party, the 516 or so people who are going to be called upon to make the decision as to what is best."
