Panton’s Alliance with Controversial Figures Raises Questions About UDP Reform

One of several questions that have arisen since Panton’s quest for leadership surrounds her alliance with Saldivar and how that contradicts her promise to reform the UDP.  Saldivar is the Belmopan politician whose career was marred with allegations, accusations and suspicion of corruption surrounding his association with Lev Dermen and Danny Mason.  Saldivar’s name came up in a US courtroom when testimony revealed that Saldivar was receiving campaign money from Dermen who is now in jail for money laundering and for stealing from the US Government.  Meanwhile, Mason is in prison after being found guilty in 2019 for the killing of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas in July 2016.  When asked about her faith in Saldivar as an alliance, Panton’s echoed Dean Barrow’s statement in March 2014 when the former PM told the media that there is a difference between legal guilt and factual guilt.

Tracy Panton, Area Representative, Albert Division: “I don’t know that John Saldivar has been convicted of any corruption. He has been accused of corruption and we’re yet to see the evidence of that. I think the chairman himself, the party chairman himself, had written to the US officials asking for the evidence to be presented and that letter has still remained unanswered. The National Party Council in its collective wisdom, made a decision that they would allow, that we would allow John Saldivar to run in a convention in Belmopan. The people of Belmopan said we would like John to be our standard bearer he did a lot of good for our community and we are not going to disregard the voices of the people. The voice of the people is the voice of God. You’ve heard that over and over. And so the people have said, we want John. Now let me say, and say this just so my words cannot be twisted. We have a lot of heavy lifting to do and we in the party, and we have a lot of tough decisions to make in the party. My commitment is that will be an inclusive approach, that it will not be one person making a determination for the entire party. The party needs a leader who is prepared to listen. Of course, the leader will ultimately make the final determination, but leaders must listen to what the people are saying. And when and if evidence is presented of this “corruption” that John has, then we are going to deal with it. Then we will have to deal with it. But until then, the people of Belmopan have said we want John.”

Saldivar is the current standard bearer for the Belmopan division.