Posted: Wednesday, December 30th, 2015. 1:49 p.m. CST
By Aaron Humes: The People’s United Party (PUP) is moving toward its National Convention scheduled for Belmopan on January 31, 2016. Yesterday, Tuesday, the final list of voting delegates for the Convention was produced.
Party Chairman, Henry Charles Usher, says that all thirty-one constituencies and the various party units – Belize Youth Movement, United Women’s Group, Marshalls and Order of Distinguished Service – have submitted their list of delegates, as well as a list of alternate delegates if for some reason a selected delegate cannot make it.
These lists are being compiled and copies will be sent to all candidates vying for seats on the party’s National Executive, especially the three running for party leader – most recent leader Francis Fonseca, ex-leader John Briceno and Lake Independence area representative Cordel Hyde.
For this reason, Usher told us he was not able to provide a specific number of the delegates per constituency at this time, though each is entitled to one per 25 votes cast for the party in the November general election. He expects to have that number by next week.
The total number comes in above 2,700, which is the most number of persons that have ever voted on behalf of either major party in an internal convention.
The list will also be presented to the party’s National Party Council, the second highest decision making body for the party, which meets in Belize City on January 9, 2016.
At that meeting, all convention-related business will be finalized, including the venue, which is currently expected to be Belmopan’s Comprehensive School grounds.
As for the misunderstanding earlier this month following the announcement of candidates concerning who is in charge of the party, Usher offered some clarification: the National Executive, led by himself as Chairman, supervises the Secretary General and the party’s communication and other units, namely Vibes Radio and the Belize Times.
However, Fonseca, as Leader of the Opposition, is the party’s leader in the House and its parliamentary caucus.