334 UDP Delegates Vote for Tracy Taegar-Panton as New Leader

The Alliance for Democracy stirred up the political scene on Sunday with a Special Unity Convention that saw U.D.P. delegates casting their votes for Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton as the new leader of the U.D.P. However, this move has ignited fierce contention between Taegar-Panton’s Alliance faction and the elected executive of the U.D.P., headed by Mesopotamia Area Representative Moses “Shyne” Barrow. Barrow contends that the Alliance has no right to hold a legitimate U.D.P. event, claiming they’ve been expelled from the party.  The Alliance, however, argues that they are fully entitled to convene and that Barrow has effectively hijacked the party and leveraged the executive’s authority to impose his will. It’s a political mess, and from the looks of it neither side is backing down. So now the question really is: Who is the true leader of the U.D.P.? Reporter Marion Ali was at the convention and looks deeper into the U.D.P.’s constitution.  Here is that report.

 

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“Let me hear you, mi gente!  UDP! UDP! UDP!…music starts, balloons released, crowd shot and Tracy give thumbs up)”

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

In what can only be described as an unbreakable show of support by UDP delegates for Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton on Sunday, the Alliance for Democracy elected her as the new “interim leader” of the United Democratic Party. The status of who is the rightful leader is still not clear and may quite likely be subject to a court battle. Both sides are relying on different sections of the UDP Constitution to bolster their position for calling the convention. The Alliance makes its case on Article Six (e) which states, “A sitting of the National Convention shall be scheduled and arranged and a Call to National Convention shall be issued upon a majority vote of the National Party Council or upon petition of one-fourth of all Delegates or as may be provided for in the Party Rules.”.

 

The Alliance had presented that petition signed by two hundred and thirty-two of the five hundred and twenty-eight UDP delegates countrywide, which was more than needed to trigger the convention. And by Sunday’s convention, that number grew to three hundred and forty-seven delegates in attendance, three hundred and thirty-four of whom voted in support of Taegar- Panton’s leadership and the new executive she brings. That executive also includes Interim Chairperson Sheena Pitts who, according to the Alliance, has replaced Mike Peyrefitte and Interim Vice Chair Lee Mark Chang who has replaced Alberto August. When she spoke with the media following the event, Taegar-Panton said that the results of the voting were final, and that the Alliance would now do whatever it takes to ensure that the results are honoured by the UDP.

 

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Albert Area Representative

“I am now the interim leader of the United Democratic Party. The mandate by the delegates and the mandate by the UDP supporters who are out here today in the thousands is a clear indication and I will take up that mandate and I will lead this party. I will ensure that the party is united, and I will do everything in my power to have the party rebuild to its days of glory. We will leave no stone unturned; I know have a clear mandate from the delegates and the national convention, which is the highest decision makers of this party. And I act on that mandate.”

 

The UDP’s current elected area representatives, aside from Taegar-Panton are Collet’s Area Rep, Patrick Faber, Queen Square’s Denise “Sista B” Barrow and Corozal North’s Hugo Patt. And its other elected officials are Mayor Earl Trapp and Councilor Bernadette Fernandez from Cayo. Faber was the only one present of all these elected UDP officials. But there was notable presence by Audrey Wallace, former CEO in the Prime Minister’s Office when Shyne Barrow’s father, Dean Barrow was Prime Minister; as well as by former Ministers Anthony “Boots” Martinez and Edmond Castro and former UDP Port Loyola Standard Bearer, Phillip Willoughby, as well as other party standard bearers. Castro told News Five that he had to show his support for the Alliance after he realized that Barrow was not taking the UDP down the right path. Interestingly, he said that the Alliance kept Hugo Patt as the UDP’s First Deputy Leader.

 

Edmond Castro, former UDP Minister

“After today, Tracy Taegar-Panton will be the new leader of the United Democratic Party, Hugo Patt will be the First Deputy [Leader], Beverly Williams, Second Deputy, Sheena Pitts will be the chairperson and then we got Lee Mark as the deputy chair.”

 

Reporter

“So you’re saying that Hugo Patt has now joined forces?”

 

Edmond Castro

“I just gave you the slate.”

 

Marion Ali

“Mr. Barrow has said what you all are doing here is a non-UDP event, simply because they are no longer UDP members.”

 

Edmond Castro

“He is not a UDP. He is a just-come. He nuh understand how the bricks were laid to even build the headquarters. He nuh know nothing much about United Democratic Party. I gave him an opportunity to lead, but he nuh di cut it and I told him, “If you nuh di cut it, I will be vocal against you, my brother.”

 

News Five has reached out to Hugo Patt for his reaction to Castro’s comments, but he did not respond to our calls or messages. But as it relates to Barrow’s popularity, a question we ask now is this: Is Sunday’s U.D.P. delegates’ overwhelming vote for Taegar-Panton a reinforcement of the recent Viking Poll? That poll determined that while Barrow is Belize’s second most known politician after Prime Minister John Briceno, his favorability ranking is extremely poor, at thirty-fourth out of thirty-six. Barrow and the executive that call the convention and the voting illegal rely on the argument that Taegar-Panton, Faber, and Belmopan and Belize Rural Central Standard Bearers, John Saldivar and Beverly Williams had constructively resigned in late August.

 

The UDP Central Executive cited repeated violations of the UDP Constitution, particularly Article Five (1) (b) and (с); Аrtісlе Five (5)(а), (b), (с) and (d) аnd Аrtісlе Seven (11).” Barrow also turned to the Speaker of the House, Valerie Woods to kick Taegar-Panton and Faber out of the UDP isle. That never happened because Woods quoted from the Constitution of Belize, which trumps any other constitution. Woods ruled that the two UDP parliamentarians have not informed her office or the House of their resignation as Members. We asked Taegar-Panton at the start of Sunday’s event why didn’t the Alliance take the matter to court for a resolution. She explained that they first needed the vote, then they will proceed to court if necessary.

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“If we need to, we will, but we have to first have the mandate of the people. We must first get the mandate of the delegates, and that is what happens today. And the mandate will be clear after today’s convention, what the people want to see happen within the United Democratic Party. If we need to go to court, we go to court.  There’s no turning back.”

 

Geraldine Tillett presented the motion to rescind him as UDP Leader. The voting started at twelve-twenty and ended at two-fifty pm.The Alliance bussed in delegates from all thirty-one constituencies in a total of seventy chartered buses. It presented nine motions altogether at the convention, including the motion presented by Ernest Banner from Cayo South who presented the motion to rescind Mike Peyrefitte as Chairman of the UDP; Vanley Jenkins from Lake Independence who presented the motion to rescind Alberto August as Vice Chairman, and Geraldine Tillett, who has lived all her life in the Mesopotamia Division where Barrow represents. Marion Ali for News Five.