Panton: June 14 NPC Meeting “Flawed” and Unconstitutional

Albert Area Representative and Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Tracy Panton, has declared the scheduled June 14 National Party Council (NPC) meeting of the United Democratic Party (UDP) to be unconstitutional, citing violations of the party’s internal governance rules.

Speaking with The Reporter, Panton stated that the meeting disregards multiple provisions of the UDP Constitution, including the requirement for Central Executive Committee (CEC) review and quorum. “Fifty percent of the membership is not invited, and the Constitution is very clear on how and when and what goes on the agenda for an NPC meeting,” she said. “One [CEC meeting] was attempted but it failed to convene due to lack of quorum.”

Panton emphasized that the UDP Constitution is more than a guiding framework—it is a contract, as confirmed by court rulings. “This flouts in the face of the foundational, guiding contract, which the Courts have confirmed the UDP Constitution to be,” she asserted.

Her remarks come amid escalating internal tensions in the UDP, with Party Leader Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow issuing a statement of his own reaffirming both his leadership and the legitimacy of the June 14 NPC meeting. This followed a June 11 press release by Interim Deputy Party Leader Hon. Hugo Patt, who asserted that the meeting should be postponed and labeled any such gathering without his participation and delegate review as “illegitimate.”

In a message shared with The Reporter, reportedly Barrow dismissed claims that his leadership had ended, reminding members that he was elected on March 27, 2022, and re-elected on August 13, 2023, to serve through October 5, 2025. “There has been no change in the Office of the Party Leader,” he stated, adding that only a recall process can remove him.

Barrow described calls to postpone the NPC as “desperate measures” that risked deepening internal division and incurring costly litigation. He defended the authority of Acting Chairman Alberto August—who called the meeting—and noted August’s 15 years of service under three party leaders. According to Barrow, the meeting was called after consultation with the Central Executive.

He maintained that the meeting would provide a platform to “reset, reunite and rebuild” the UDP, and urged all NPC members to attend. The agenda includes five main items: preparation for the October 5 National Convention, holding constituency conventions, reinstating expelled members, recommending constitutional amendments, and discussing other matters.

Patt, however, stated that he had written to August on June 10, formally directing the postponement of the meeting in order to allow for a comprehensive review of the delegate list and his participation. He said August refused to comply and that any meeting held in defiance of that directive was “against [his] wishes.”