Likely delay to ruling party convention, says PM King

Prime Minister Stephenson King said that a delay in holding the national convention of the ruling United Workers Party (UWP) is likely, amidst rumours of another challenge to his leadership, according to a report on www.cananews.net.



The next UWP convention is scheduled for October but King said the wheels of that process have yet to go into motion.



\"In terms of the road to convention, we have not started that process yet which would entail council meetings, national council, delegates\' conference, constituency conferences and a host of preparatory meetings, which would eventually take the party into convention,\" said King, who was elected UWP leader at the last convention following the death of then Prime Minister Sir John Compton in 2007.



Party insiders have suggested that Trade Minister Rufus Bousquet, who has had a tumultuous relationship with the Prime Minister in recent years, is planning to mount a challenge to King\'s leadership of the 45 year-old party.



Under the UWP\'s constitution, its leader automatically becomes Prime Minister once the party is in government.



Ezekiel Joseph, one of the deputy leaders of the UWP, refused to speak of any such challenge.



\"The process in identifying a leader, I would want to believe that due process would be undertaken and the whole aspect of the various agenda items would be dealt with by the delegates,\" he said.



However, Joseph sounded more optimistic than his party leader that the convention deadline would be met.



\"With regards to whether the deadline for October is a reality, I know that the (party) executive is working on that and I hope that deadline would be accomplished…We are planning to have convention in October.\"