No ULP loss

Wednesday’s referendum loss was not a defeat of the Unity Labour Party (ULP).

That’s the view of Director of Operations of the YES-Vote Committee and Minister of Housing Julian Francis.{{more}}

“The ULP did not fight this referendum. So those who want to pontificate on the results that’s entirely up to them,” said Francis in the aftermath of Wednesday’s defeat.

SEARCHLIGHT caught up with Francis at the YES Vote Headquarters in Kingstown just one hour after the poll results were known. He was quite optimistic despite the defeat by 12.51 per cent.

“I am still confident and I know our people. The response that you will get from a ULP versus NDP is totally different to what you will get from a Yes Committee versus NDP,” said Francis.

“I know the ULP in battle gear. We worked under the national colours. It’s a totally different animal.”

The preliminary results showed that the No Vote received 55.60 per cent of the overall vote while the YES Vote received 43.16 per cent of the total votes.

“It was not a ULP/NDP contest. There was a national Yes Committee and there was the NDP and there was a No Vote Committee which the NDP claim they were not,” said Francis.

Francis told SEARCHLIGHT the results are showing that 100 per cent NDP support came out.

“They fought the elections at a party level. We fought at the national level,” said Francis.

Francis, who is also the General Secretary of the Unity Labour Party, noted that the traditional ULP supporters did not go to the polls, based on the preliminary figures.

When asked what the next move is, Francis responded: “We have to review it. If the majority of the persons who voted in the referendum said no then the old Constitution stands. So we continue to operate under the old Constitution. If those other persons stayed home it means that they weren’t satisfied with the Constitution.”

In the referendum 67 per cent of the overall vote was needed to alter the current constitution.

The YES Vote only received the majority of votes in North Central Windward and South Windward constituencies.