UDP Leadership Shakeup: Alliance for Democracy Pushes for October 6 Convention

Tonight, political controversy continues as the Alliance for Democracy seeks to unseat Moses Shyne Barrow as the leader of the United Democratic Party.  The alliance held a press conference today setting a convention date for October 6 where they will crown a new leader.  On Monday, the alliance sent out a release saying it was open to mediation, but within 48 hours, they reneged and decided to move forward with what they now dub, ‘A Special Unity Convention’.  The plan is to have the convention on October 6 and to name an interim leader, who by all accounts would be Tracy Panton.  In addition to booting Barrow, the alliance says it will also revisit the appointments of the UDP’s executive members.  It is quite the quagmire as the four at today’s head table have been deemed as ‘constructively resigned’; namely Panton, Beverly Williams, John Saldivar and Patrick Faber.  They have rejected that motion, saying that they will run under the UDP flag in the 2025 general elections.  Panton noted that moving forward, the alliance will now begin to garner support for the planned convention. It begs the question, however, on how they can move forward without the UDP Chairman’s support, specifically Michael Peyrefitte.  

Tracy Panton, Expelled UDP Standard Bearer: “When we asked for a National Convention there were 232 delegates form 17 constituencies who signed that petition. When we asked for a recall to be triggered we had 208 delegates from 17 constituencies who signed that petition. I want to go back to the leadership convention in 2022 when Shyne boasted, he and the former party leader….the former party leader meaning Shyne’s father, who boasted that 19 standard bearers were with Shyne and that there was no way in hell I could win that convention. The delegates stood by me and the strategy was the same. We went constituency by constituency by constituency to make the case. I am not of the view that I lost that convention. I am not of the view that I did but by any measure if we accept that Shyne won the convention by two votes what happened to those 19 standard bearers and their delegates? I should have been blown out of the water if we followed that math. I have every faith, we have every faith in the delegates of this party who want to stand by the principles and values of the United Democratic Party. And let me say that we will be running in the next general election all four of us that sit at this table will be running in the next general elections.”

Patrick Faber, Expelled UDP Standard Bearer: “Guarantee for the UDP.”

Patrick Faber, Expelled UDP Standard Bearer:  “And the minute you don’t vote the way he wants you to vote or you don’t turn up in the meeting threatens you and you know in fact we have seen now even removes you and we can’t get a decent vote because nobody will show up at the meeting and nobody will demonstrate that they are not with him because they fear what he will do. We need to be able to verify those votes once they’re counted. And I think we’re in an age where we could so some kind of digital voting if needs be because people aren’t always available but that must be an emergency situation. The next section speaks about the selection of standard bearers and my friend the member from Albert the Honorable Panton already outlined told you what is going on. The party leader and the chairman,  I have to say the chairman because in my view you know my feeling on this a long time ago the chairman is an even bigger problem than the party leader. He is the greatest enable and is the biggest problem literally and figuratively.”

The entire fiasco with the Alliance for Democracy is a bit familiar, taking us back to seven years ago when there was an attempt to strong-arm the Queen of the Bay crown.   In this case, it’s the UDP leader who is looking to be strong-armed.  It is clear, however, that he will not go down without a fight as late this evening the UDP Secretariat issued a brief but clear release.  It stated, quote, “For the avoidance of doubt, Tracy Panton, Patrick Faber, John Saldivar and Beverly Williams are no longer members of the United Democratic Party.  The application period to fill the vacancies for UDP Standard Bearers in the Albert, Belmopan, Belize Rural Central and Collet Constituencies closes September 6, 2024.”  End of quote