UDP Seeks Mediation to Resolve Political Conflict with Alliance for Democracy

With the 2025 general election looming, the United Democratic Party (UDP) has expressed interest in resolving its political conflict with the Alliance for Democracy. In a very public falling out last year, the UDP expelled several of its prominent members, after the Alliance conjured up what it referred to as a leadership convention in an attempt to oust the UDP Leader, Moses Shyne Barrow. The attempts have failed so far as the court has ordered that the situation revert to how it was before the October 20 event by the Alliance.  With both parties agreeing to go to mediation, Barrow told the media today that there are two proposals on the table in the name of compromise.  The first proposal would see the Alliance and UDP forming a coalition, with the UDP refraining from putting forward candidates for the Collet, Queen Square, Albert, Belize Rural Central and the Cayo North constituencies, giving the Alliance the option to choose its own candidates.  The other option would be to have the UDP rescind the expulsion of alliance members and have them return to run under the UDP banner, providing that they acknowledge and respect his leadership. The condition in this second proposal would be that John Saldivar remains excluded from a place of party prominence.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “The second proposal would see the four seats that we think are viable that align with the alliance, which are the three seats that we have, Albert, Collet, Queen Square and in addition Cayo North, would see those lady and gentlemen return to the UDP and run as UDP candidates. But in order for that to happen, Tracy Panton needs to disabuse herself of the notion that she is any leader of any UDP. She’s not even a member of the UDP as it stands. She could consider herself a UDP. She could have it in her mind that, yes, you know, before she was a PUP under Mark Espat in his campaign, she became a UDP. But the UDP is an organization, and we expelled her. But we would be prepared on a second proposal. So there are two proposals on the table, to not just rescind her expulsion and that of Patrick Farber, but to rescind the expulsion of Beverly Williams and John Saldivar. However. John Saldivar in particular, as long as I am leader and as long as our leadership executive is in place, we do not believe the likes of he and other former ministers who have been embroiled in corruption, who were routed in the last general elections, resoundingly rejected by the public as the type of politicians that the people of this country want nowhere near cabinet, nowhere near a ministry in order to continue their corrupt ways. So while we have no problem rescinding the expulsions, Saldivar and Williams and other people need to understand that the decision as to who is suited to be candidates for the UDP resides with the party organs that are in the central executive.”

Barrow says that, as the UDP prepares to engage in court-ordered mediation with the Alliance, these proposals would be the basis for those negotiations. Last week, ahead of the mediation, Tracy Panton announced that the Alliance would be putting together 18 candidates for the upcoming elections.