Anthony Boots Martinez Hosts One-Man Press Conference Amid UDP Leadership Crisis

As the discord continues between the UDP and the Alliance for Democracy, one man who is letting his position known is former UDP Standard Bearer, Anthony Boots Martinez. This morning, Martinez sat in the middle of the headquarters’ parking lot and hosted a one-man press conference on the party’s internal mess. Martinez has made clear his allegiance to Panton’s Alliance for Democracy with the hope of clarifying some issues. After Sunday’s unsanctioned convention, one of the major points of contention surrounds the list of delegates, regarding its validity and the confirmation process. Many have been asking about the legitimacy of the delegate list while some are calling for the list used at the civic on Sunday to be released.  Martinez took on an argumentative approach as those questions and several others were posed to him by the media.  

Reporter: Your party is corrupt. The PUP is corrupt. The UDP is corrupt how they handled the delegates. You know this Boots. 

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member: “But I’m saying my brother there is a delegates list, the term limit. This is not corrupt.”

Reporter: They changed out those delegates as they feel sir.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member:  “Yeah but put it this way that is if they so choose. There are men who trick men and get them to resign themselves but no delegate and when delegates are conscious of what is going on no delegate is signing anything and they have a term limit, a delegate is there for two years sir. That’s all I’m saying. I don’t know in PUP’s constitution maybe they just pick this one and pick that and send in a list. There is a process, a list has to be there that’s why the secretary….”

Reporter: So your list was legit ? Good.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member:  “That’s all I’m saying.”

Reporter: One delegate has come out or was he an alternate ? 

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member:  “Well I don’t know. You heard what he said ? He’s an alternative. But you know how the thing goes. He is trying to say alternate. Alternate is alternate and alternative is alternative. “

Reporter: But those are the people you all selected.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member:  “Who selected them ?”

Reporter: Well I don’t know.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member:  “That is what…..”

Reporter: Well I don’t know the AFD crowd.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member:  “That is what he is saying. You don’t see he can’t even give his name ?”

Reporter: Can’t give his name for a very specific reason but I know who it is.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member:  “Well listen to me sir. Boss it doesn’t really matter. Man, you were out there, all of you were out there. Let me tell you something, all of you were out there and I will tell you….”

Reporter: Hugo Patt wasn’t out there.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member: “Yeah but it doesn’t matter who, it’s the delegates are the owners, sister. The delegates are the owners.”

Reporter: Honorable Tracy Panton would not be able to be installed as the Leader of the Opposition.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member:  “Man, that is not the first time. Let me tell you, in my humble opinion, that is the only resolution I think….listen to me I’m just being fair and frank here that is the resolution in my view that the party doesn’t have any control over. And I’m just being real honest. That is bigger than the party, that is for the constitution of Belize.”

Reporter: So they have no control over the secretariat ? That’s the fact? They have no control over the secretariat, no control over the parliament ? 

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member: “No control over the secretariat ? “

Reporter: No control over the headquarters. It’s still Sharon Medina in there sir.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member:  “Listen, where ? Where ?”

With all that’s been said and done, Martinez along with many others is unclear at this hour how things would unfold in the coming days and weeks.  What he did know for certain was that Barrow would not surrender easily.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member: “I don’t know what will happen. I know about one.”

Reporter: The Tracy one.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member: “I know about what did the majority of the delegates decide.”

Reporter: Would you say it’s over now for Shyne Barrow ?

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member: “I think so. I think so. I’m being honest with you, I think so. I know he won’t go easy. He will hold onto that chair like I said. I was the first person that came and said that he sleeps with the chair under his bed and he sleep cross way with his foot minding that chair there. And let me tell you something you could see things speak volumes. Like this country needs a viable opposition. I don’t care what anybody says. You quarrel with the speaker, you quarrel with the members, you quarrel with PUP, and not conscious that you’re duped into a lot of things. This country needs a viable opposition with a reasonable leader. He is unfit.”

Reporter: How much do you blame Michael Peyrefitte, the chairman, for enabling him. Do you blame Alberto August ? 

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member: “Of course sir.”

Reporter: Do you blame even your friend Dean Barrow for not coming out against it ? 

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member: “Listen to me. Michael Peyrefitte and Alberto August they are the two most powerful people in the constitution of the United Democratic Party. So what people do now ? So when you say the constitution says one fourth delegates trigger a recall, two thirds call a national convention, people have a right to change their minds I don’t care what happens. Until you change that out of the constitution. This is where you need to have constitutional reform. If you want to say you can only recall a man within one term of his leadership that is it but you have the constitution says for a revolving door for tomorrow somebody could start a petition and the whole thing starts over again, those are the reforms that the party needs to look at. And so at the end of the day when you just ignore people in terms of the chairman and so and no disregard to what it is in the constitution that is dictatorship sir.”

Reporter: You’re saying that Shyne disregarded the chairman ? I think Shyne and the chairman are working in concert.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member: “No I’m tell ing you chairman disregard the delegates who are the owners.”

Reporter: So then if someone operates, you believe, immorally or unconstitutionally as per the UDP constitution does it then give you all a right to ignore that the national convention shall not be chaired by the national party chairperson who in his or her capacity as chairperson at that convention shall also be the chairperson of the national party council and central executive ? If you feel the persons occupying those roles are bankrupt they can’t……so then you have a right to do as you wish ? Just asking.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Member: “No, listen to me.”

Martinez had no access to the UDP Secretariat offices or conference hall.