Dumps Mark & Cordel As Deputies

There are major moves afoot within the PUP. Reports reaching 7news this morning said that the Party's National Executive was meeting to consider removing Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde as Senior Deputy Leaders.

Big news and, if true, a major hardline move for new Leader Francis Fonseca.

We went to the PUP Headquarters and got a comment from him when the meeting ended around 1:00.



Hon. Francis Fonseca - Will Revamp Party Executive
"We had a meeting of the national executive today. It was an internal, private meeting. We discussed several matters, and we will be, later on in the week, putting out a release on the matter."

Jose Sanchez - Channel 5 News
"But is it safe to say that this concerns Marks' and Cordel's positions in the executive?"

Hon. Francis Fonseca
"This concerns the composition and structure of the National Executive of the People's United Party, and I have been authorized by the national executive to put together a new executive moving forward. And that is what I will be working on in the next few days."

Jules Vasquez
"Will it have 36 members?"

Hon. Francis Fonseca
"I don't know, Jules, I hope not. I don't think that it has been very efficient. So that is one of the objectives of my mandate, to try and streamline as best as possible, but I will be working on that over the next few days. And, early next week, we will be able to put out a release to say who the new members of the national executive are."

And while Fonseca played it cagey, according to post-meeting reports that we've heard, Fonseca did take the decision to remove Espat and Hyde and Senior Deputy Leaders.

According to our reports, there was some dispute about it - with some urging dialogue, while at least one hardliner pushed for their expulsion from the party.

But, according to our reports, Fonseca will only remove the pair from the executive and eliminate the post of senior deputy altogether, opting instead for four deputies - including the current deputies Mike Espat and Carolyn Trench Sandiford with the addition of Florencio Marin Jr.

The reports also say that a newcomer, former Central Bank Governor Sydney Campbell will be brought in as Party Treasurer to fill the post left by Julius Espat.

That's what came out of the meeting but Campbell called us late this evening to say he's declined it, and quote "he can't even consider it."

That's a downer for the PUP and leaves the post of Treasurer still vacant.

And while the treasurer thing is up in the air as to the senior deputies, again, those are reports, reliable but unconfirmed and unofficial... we await the full press release next week.

Channel 7