<div id="attachment_116160" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width:310px;"><a rel="nofollow" class="highslide" target="_blank" href="http://edition.channel5belize.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Smith-Resignation.jpg"><imgclass="size-medium wp-image-116160" title="Godfrey Smith" src="http://edition.channel5belize.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Smith-Resignation-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Godfrey Smith</p></div>
<p><strong>Tonight, there is major news coming out of the People’s United Party camp in the wake of last Wednesday’s Dangriga bye-election. News Five was able to confirm today that Godfrey Smith is no longer the National Campaign Manager of the Party, effective immediately. Sources say that Smith had been contemplating leaving the post after the recent defeat in the bye-election. News Five has learnt that there was a meeting between P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca and Smith on Saturday, and it is believed that that is when the decision was taken. Via text today, Fonseca stated, “He was not removed. By mutual agreement he will no longer serve as National Campaign Manager. He continues to be a personal advisor to me.” After serving as Fonseca’s campaign coordinator during a failed bid at leadership in 2008, Smith took a sabbatical from active politics. He re-emerged in May 2014 when Fonseca announced that Smith would chair the committee of regional campaign managers and since then, the P.U.P. has lost three consecutive elections—the Cayo North bye-elections, municipal elections and now the Dangriga bye-elections. Neither Fonseca nor Smith would agree to an interview today, and there is no word yet of a replacement for Smith. But last week, this is what Fonseca had to say about Smith when asked about his future as campaign manager.</strong></p>
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<div id="attachment_116162" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width:220px;"><a rel="nofollow" class="highslide" target="_blank" href="http://edition.channel5belize.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Smith-Resignation0001.jpg"><imgclass=" wp-image-116162 " title="Francis Fonseca" src="http://edition.channel5belize.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Smith-Resignation0001.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="158"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Francis Fonseca</p></div>
<p><strong>Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader</strong></p>
<p><em>“I think, you know, whenever we have elections we do a proper assessment of everything that took place and after any election I say to my executive, everyone sits around and I say to them, “I myself am at your disposal” and we look at everybody who was involved in the campaign at every level. From the ground in Dangriga right up to the executive level, who pulled their weight, who didn’t pull their weight and we make an assessment based on that and find out if people are committed to the work that lies ahead and I think after this election our assessment will be no different. You know, I’m satisfied that the campaign manager tried. He worked hard to raise the funds that we did have and I think he believed in Mr. Sabal, like we all did, and did everything that he could through his office to try and make sure we put the best foot forward in that election.”</em></p>
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<p><strong>Tonight, there is major news coming out of the People’s United Party camp in the wake of last Wednesday’s Dangriga bye-election. News Five was able to confirm today that Godfrey Smith is no longer the National Campaign Manager of the Party, effective immediately. Sources say that Smith had been contemplating leaving the post after the recent defeat in the bye-election. News Five has learnt that there was a meeting between P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca and Smith on Saturday, and it is believed that that is when the decision was taken. Via text today, Fonseca stated, “He was not removed. By mutual agreement he will no longer serve as National Campaign Manager. He continues to be a personal advisor to me.” After serving as Fonseca’s campaign coordinator during a failed bid at leadership in 2008, Smith took a sabbatical from active politics. He re-emerged in May 2014 when Fonseca announced that Smith would chair the committee of regional campaign managers and since then, the P.U.P. has lost three consecutive elections—the Cayo North bye-elections, municipal elections and now the Dangriga bye-elections. Neither Fonseca nor Smith would agree to an interview today, and there is no word yet of a replacement for Smith. But last week, this is what Fonseca had to say about Smith when asked about his future as campaign manager.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<div id="attachment_116162" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width:220px;"><a rel="nofollow" class="highslide" target="_blank" href="http://edition.channel5belize.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Smith-Resignation0001.jpg"><imgclass=" wp-image-116162 " title="Francis Fonseca" src="http://edition.channel5belize.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Smith-Resignation0001.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="158"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Francis Fonseca</p></div>
<p><strong>Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader</strong></p>
<p><em>“I think, you know, whenever we have elections we do a proper assessment of everything that took place and after any election I say to my executive, everyone sits around and I say to them, “I myself am at your disposal” and we look at everybody who was involved in the campaign at every level. From the ground in Dangriga right up to the executive level, who pulled their weight, who didn’t pull their weight and we make an assessment based on that and find out if people are committed to the work that lies ahead and I think after this election our assessment will be no different. You know, I’m satisfied that the campaign manager tried. He worked hard to raise the funds that we did have and I think he believed in Mr. Sabal, like we all did, and did everything that he could through his office to try and make sure we put the best foot forward in that election.”</em></p>
View the full article