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#422592 11/19/11 08:09 AM
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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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


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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Mark and Cordel removed from P.U.P. Executive

Francis Fonseca

P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca called his first meeting of the national executive this morning at Independence Hall. The main agenda item was the configuration of his new executive. Fonseca asked the executive to authorize him to make pertinent changes. He then presented a proposal of how he wanted the new executive to look. With the resignation of Eamon Courtenay, Julius Espat is to become the new national campaign manager. The post of treasurer that Julius leaves is to be filled by Sydney Campbell, the former governor of the Central Bank. Narda Garcia and Lisa Shoman exchange posts; Garcia takes over policy from Shoman who is named as the director of communications. But the major move is in respect of the deputy leaders. There were five, but Fonseca proposes to cut that down to three and wipe out the rank of senior deputy party leaders. So essentially Mike Espat and Carolyn Trench remain as deputies and Florencio Marin Jr. is elevated as the third deputy. With that stroke, Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde are removed as senior deputies and from the national executive. Espat and Hyde have by and large absented themselves from most party functions and as recently as last month, Espat turned down the leadership of the party. They were both not present at the installation of Francis Fonseca as party leader last month. The removal of Espat and Hyde was predictable under Fonseca. Back in 2008 the so called old guard attempted to go the full gamut and expel Espat and Hyde from the party. Well this morning, Fonseca's formula essentially boxed out the Albert and Lake I representatives since as he put it, those who do not want to engage should leave. After the meeting, Fonseca downplayed his move.

Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition

"We had a meeting of the national executive today. it was an internal private meeting. We discussed several matters we will be later on in the week putting out a release on the matter."

Jose Sanchez

"There were reports Mark and Cordel were taken out of the executive..

No decisions have been made today. It was an internal meeting of the national executive of the Peoples United Party. And later in the week a release will put out on the matter. But is it safe to say that this concerns Mark and Cordell in the executive?"

Francis Fonseca
"This concerns the composition and structure of the national executive of the Peoples 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."

Jose Sanchez

"Will it have 36 members?"

Francis Fonseca
"Ahm, I don't know Jules I hope not. I don't think that has been very efficient. So that is one of the objectives of my mandate to try and streamline as best as possible. But I'll 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."

It is not known if other changes are proposed but technically the decisions taken by the national executive normally go the national party council for ratification. We contacted Mark Espat but he wished to offer no comment on his imminent removal.

Channel 5


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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Senior Deputies Espat, Hyde (Officially) Kicked Off PUP Executive

Former PUP Senior Deputies, Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde have officially been kicked off the PUP Executive. The decision was made at a party executive meeting on Friday - but no announcement was made until today.

A release was issued this morning, which says that the Party Leader - on the authority of the National Executive - was authorized to come up with a new composition for that same executive.

Slightly odd - as usually the members of the executive are appointed by a National Convention of National Party council, but no matter, today it was executive by edict or at least press release. An official release says that in deciding who got to stay and who got the boot, Party Leader Francis Fonseca was guided by the following criteria - and we quote:

One: Were existing members of the NE in their current posts functioning and effective?

Two: Had existing members of the executive publicly or privately expressed their willingness... to continue serving?

Seems like a roundabout way to say that Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde had been less than enthusiastic about the ascent of the new leader and seemed disinterested in party events - and so they had to go.

And so, the posts of senior deputies have been abolished, and the men who occupied it have both been removed from the executive.

Notably, two men considered to be their allies Bill Lindo, who was the Research and Development Coordinator and Hugh O Brien, the liaison for Civil Society and Social Partners have also been removed from the executive; they will now have Non-Executive posts.

Another casualty of the executive reduction is Luke Espat, who post of National Strategic Development Manager has also been made non-executive. Corona Villafranco's post of parliamentary Liaison has also been abolished.

But while those three posts have been cut, the top heavy executive still carries 30 persons - and for every loser there was a winner.

And the biggest winner has to be Arthur Saldivar. In what can only be interpreted as a reward for the full frontal assault he put on Mark Espat in his stalking horse candidacy for party leader, Saldivar has been promoted to serve on both the executive and in the senate.

He will co-chair the Policy and Reform Committee along with Narda Garcia.

He will also take up Eamon Courtenay's vacated Senate Seat joining Lisa Shoman and Oscar Requena.

The other big winner is Florencio Marin Junior, who now becomes one of the party's three deputies, joining Carolyn Trench Sandiford and Mike Espat.

And since former central Bank Governor Sydney Campbell turned down the PUP to serve as treasurer, Stann Creek West Standard Bearer Rodwell Ferguson has been activated to serve in that post.

Overall, the executive moves see new Leader Francis Fonseca making bold moves - primarily to purge Espat and Hyde from the executive. Whether those moves are strategically sound with months to go before municipal elections, will be left to be seen. Both Espat and Hyde control what are considered to be sure seats.

Channel 7


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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PUP Secretary General Rachel Montejo Gets The Axe

Two weeks ago when Mark Espat, Cordel Hyde and others were kicked off the UDP executive - we thought that was the end of it for the new leader Francis Fonseca's purge of non-loyalists.

And that's what Secretary General Rachel Montejo thought too - until she was called to former leader Said Musa's office on Thursday where she was informed that she was being replaced with Myrtle Palacio.

Palacio - a former chief elections officer - is considered an Old Guard loyalist - and the move is seen - in some quarters - as Fonseca power - sharing with the O-G. Others, however, say Montejo did not meet expectations.

Whatever the case, Montejo - who is a lawyer by profession - told us she is "shocked and disappointed" with the way her dismissal was handled and she told us she is seeking legal advice on her pending termination.

We say pending because - up to when we spoke to her this morning - she had not received a letter of termination, though, as we understand it, Palacio is already occupying the office - making it so that, oddly enough, there are two Secretaries General at one time.

But only one is occupying the office: Montejo is on sick leave and as we understand it, the locks have been changed on her. We are told the party has made her other offers, but it is left to be seen if she will take them or take her former employer to court.

Channel 7



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