And moving onto political news, this afternoon, the UDP's parliamentarian caucus - which is headed by the Leader of the Opposition Tracy Panton - held a press conference to give their side of the story as it relates to Saturday's NPC meeting. Panton explained that three days later, they have not heard from the chairman at all - despite leaked messages stating that the resolution to reinstate expelled members - except Patrick Faber - carried.
So the question remains, now what? Today, she explained what an ideal path forward would look like for them.
Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"We are yet to receive any formal or informal communique from the current leadership executive on the outcome of the NPC meeting. the attempt to convene a national party council meeting without inclusion of the NPC members status quo ante and without key persons being invited. A meeting that had to be aborted due to a lack of quorum and pure obstinance by party officials is an affront to the democratic precepts which we all hold dear. It is imperative that as we move forward to adhere to the party's constitution and rules that there must be free fair and open leadership convention. The calling of caretaker constituency conventions must also be free and fair and open. The solution that is being proposed is a clear violation of party rule number 8 which places such conventions in the purview of constituency committees and constituency chairpersons. Not with the membership of the Central Executive Committee or with the NPC and allows for clear deadline of 12 months after the general elections to conduct such conventions. We can and we are willing to concede that the four constituencies that did not field candidates in a most recent general elections should proceed with caretaker conventions immediately. It cannot be that caretakers conventions will be held at this time for only 18 of 26 constituencies. In the interest of fair play, we either have caretaker conventions for all 26 constituencies or preferably only in the 4 constituencies that do not have bonafide caretakers now in place."
