UDP Leader denies Toledo East Lost is a result of his leadership

The UDP’s defeat in Toledo East has reportedly spurred efforts within the party to remove Barrow as its leader. Yesterday, UDP Mayor Earl Trapp stated in an interview that he believes the party needs a “general reform”. While Trapp didn’t say whether he wants Barrow removed, many speculate that his sentiments of a party overhaul are being echoed in the UDP. Nonetheless, today, Barrow denied that the UDP’s defeat in Wednesday’s election resulted from his leadership and spoke about the murmurs within his party.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “It is really absurd to me that the leader whose name is not on the ballot, you’re asking me about me before you ask me about the candidate. So what you’re saying… “

Reporter: So whose fault is it? Is it your fault or the candidate’s fault?

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “It is… we all share the burden. But what I’m telling you is politics is about time. So we are in opposition. John Briseño lost, Francis Fonseca lost three terms, three consecutive terms, 2008, 2012, and 2015. It is normal. Dean Barrow, the Right Honorable, I think the greatest Prime Minister we’ve ever had, lost two consecutive terms ’98 and 2003. It is par for course, right?”

Reporter: So then UDP will continue to lose ?

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “Sir it is a matter of time. UDP will continue to fight. I don’t look at it the way you look at it. I am resilient, I am focused, the issues are there, but we have to keep fighting. This idea, the historical pattern, the historical data is two terms. For the PUP it was three terms that they had to wait for the pendulum to swing. The pendulum swung in their way and we have to fight every day to swing it back. This idea, this idea, no matter who you put in this seat it will still be a matter of time. No one else that wanted to be in the seat had the resources to fight, none of them.”

Barrow also responded to whether blame should fall on anyone within the party for the blow-out defeat. He also responded to the Prime Minister’s comment of the opposition being weak with Barrow at its helm.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “We’re not going to separate blame. As I said, I’m not blaming anyone. But I just find it curious that you want to come to the leader. After the general elections. After the general elections, that is when you can say you did not deliver and if I don’t deliver, as I’ve always said, if I don’t get to a certain benchmark no one will have to ask me to leave. But the idea that a game is four quarters but at halftime we would be down by 50, let’s say, and you guys are telling me that well you know, everybody should just come off the court and not keep playing. No, you keep playing until the game is finished because we have seen in the world of politics the unthinkable and the impractical happen. Why are we doing this? I am not doing this for a title. I am not doing this for any position as far as remuneration. I am doing this because I have a vision for what Belize could be. I am doing this because the government needs people to fight, to hold them accountable. And I know I have the resilience, I have the stamina and the resources to fight the government. And I will keep fighting because this is par for course. This is not a game where you lose one quarter you give up. You lose two quarters, you lose three quarters. No, and we are not, this is not the finals. This is not the last game. We have a general elections coming up and we have to keep working. The by-elections in Toledo East was for Toledo East. The people of Toledo East have their unique aspirations, their unique challenges, and they made a decision based on who the candidates were. We have to look at that.”

The LOO added that while he did not select Williams to represent the party, he had great confidence in him.