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VOLUME 8 No. 22
JUNE 4TH - JUNE 8TH, 2012
RUFUS IS NEW
PNP LEADER Website: www.suntci.com
Email: sun@suntci.com
Tel: 649-946-8542
Fax: 649-941-3281
www. twitter.com/suntci
BY VIVIAN TYSON SUN SENIOR EDITOR
Dr. Rufus Ewing became the new leader of the Progressive National Party (PNP) on Saturday June 2nd, defeating Queen’s Counsel Carlos Simons by six votes in what was one of the most keenly contested races in the party’s history. The 44-year-old surgeon got 52 votes while 46 votes went to the 57-year-old Simons, who suffered his second loss in as many contests for PNP leadership, having been defeated by lawyer and former Speaker of the House of Assembly Clayton Greene at the party’s convention in August 2010. An emotional Dr. Ewing told the media that while he was confident of victory, he was also mindful that Simons was a formidable opponent. “I was confident, but I know lots of things could happen. You can only be as confident as much as you believe people will tell you that they would vote for you. But I know sometimes things are not always what they seem, so I had to keep that in the back of my head. One can’t ever be overconfident,” said Ewing. Scores of PNP supporters turned out for the twoday convention which included a banquet at Occasions Ballroom at Airport Hotel, Providenciales, on Friday night, followed by a prayer-breakfast at the same location on Saturday morning and then voting at the party’s headquarters. Ewing said he intends to hit the ground running as soon as he assembled his executive team, including naming his deputy later this week. He hinted that he would not make similar mistake as his immediate predecessor, Clayton Greene, who had to recant his decision of naming Albray Butterfield Jr., as his deputy, shortly after winning the party leadership two years ago. “I would be tackling a number of things such as elections, the CFO Bill, the issues that deal with the VAT – those are some of the issues that people are looking for the leader to address, so we have to address them right now. We would be formulating the PNP’s position on those issues, and then we throw it across to our brothers and sisters in the PDM (People’s Democratic Movement), for them to join with us,” Ewing added. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Dr. Rufus Ewing with his wife Dr. Dawn Perry and his father, Hon. Hilly Ewing, former Deputy Chief Minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands
MARIO HOFFMANN LOSSES APPEAL AT PRIVY COUNCIL
TCI RESIDENTS MUST PAY MORE TO CALL JAMAICA STORY ON PAGE 9
STORY ON PAGE 5
BILLIONS IN GOLD BURIED IN HAITI STORY ON PAGE 33