May 10, 2011Dear Sir,I read with great surprise the Letter to the Editor in the RG of May 9 in which UBP MP Charlie Swan stated his surprise that the UBP is to disband and merge with the BDA. In that letter and subsequent article in the RG of May 10 Mr Swan stated that he didn't know which peg to rest his hat as he thought wider consultation within this branch and constituency should have taken place.I do consider Charlie a good solid citizen and I also consider him a friend, but I cannot sit by and have him call into question the process or procedure that the UBP undertook to get to the stage where a vote was cast that showed almost 80 percent concluding it was in the Island's best interest to see the UBP disband and merge with the BDA to create the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA). What ‘gets my goat' more than anything is that Charlie — as caucus Chairman of the UBP — has presided over numerous meetings since the autumn of 2010 when the ‘UBP / BDA discussion' would be vigorously debated and members of the “consultation committee” — formed by the Leader Kim Swan — would give up to date discussions, if any, of how the talks were going. Charlie also knows that the ultimate decision, re the party's future, would be determined by a vote from its Central Council. This body represents all delegates from the Party's branches and therefore Charlie's own branch would have and should have been active discussing and debating the merger amongst themselves as well as party members within the constituencies. For Charlie to write and suggest that insufficient consultation was held within his branch and its members, merely points the finger directly back at him for not doing enough canvassing of the issue with his branch members.Now I understand Charlie has been away for some five weeks and therefore has missed recent meetings of the Central Council, but in my humble opinion he should have made contact with the Party's Central Executive and the “consultation team” to get briefed before he goes about letter writing. Charlie should also know that the UBP MPs who now will become OBA MPs have done so with the full approval of their Membership via the Central Council vote and therefore they have the support of their constituents who are represented by their branches who have delegates in the Central Council. He should not compare this result with previous MPs who have left their parties to become independents or join other political parties. In these instances those individuals did not have the support of their branches or Central Council approval to do so.Charlie ought to get with the programme. The few who moan over the recent disbanding of the UBP appear to think they know what's best for Bermuda. They have obviously not parked their collective egos at the door when these discussions were being held. In my opinion this old style top down approach is a thing from the past that the OBA does not embrace. In my opinion Bermuda is headed for a brighter and promising future with the formation of the OBA, and I hope Charlie decides the same, because he does have something to offer.Yours truly,ALLAN D MARSHALL JPConstituency #7