Only last week party stalwart Ezechiel Joseph reportedly resigned from his position as Chairman of the UWP Convention Committee amidst concerns that the party seemed unwilling to move ahead with plans to host its convention.
Coupled with that, former UWP Chairman Oswald Augustin, speaking last week on a local talk show, seemingly rubbed salt in the UWP’s wounds, effectively calling for the removal of party leader Allen Chastanet and the existing leadership apparatus. A social media post attributed to Augustin read “No leader losing two elections in such a disgraceful manner of 16-2 {15-2} and after 16-1 should continue to lead and call shots in any party.”
At Tuesday’s press conference, Public Relations Officer and former Gros Islet Parliamentarian Lenard Montoute, in an attempt to put perspective to the perceived party rift, said that what is playing out on social media is nothing more than internal party differences that unfortunately got laundered in the public sphere. He insisted that much was incorrect in the body of the ramblings of those speaking the loudest. He clarified that, contrary to pronouncements, the party convention was not yet constitutionally due and that plans are afoot to tentatively hold that convention in March of 2027. At that time, he said, all are invited to throw their hat in the ring, make suggestions, and to exercise their right to participate in the process, a process he recalls that Augustin presided over during his stint as chairman from 2015 to 2021.
As it relates to calls for the party leader to resign or be removed, Montoute contends that while it is true that the party got badly beaten at the two last general elections, the reasons for those defeats do not rest solely with the leader of the party. The UWP PRO revealed that the last party retreat uncovered at least 10 priority areas that needed addressing as they looked to the much sought after restructuring of the party ahead of the convention.
Montoute also spoke on the Citizen by Investment Program {CIP} as it relates to visa free access to the United Kingdom and the United States. He insisted that a UWP administration would have dealt with the situation better.