Patrick Faber Reflects on UDP at 51

Last week, the United Democratic Party (U.D.P.) marked its fifty-first anniversary, a significant milestone that comes at a crucial juncture in the party’s history. Party Leader Shyne Barrow took the opportunity to honor several loyal supporters who have steadfastly backed the U.D.P. through its highs and lows. Notably absent from his acknowledgments were Collet Area Representative Patrick Faber and Albert Area Representative Tracy Panton. Both politicians were expelled from the U.D.P. after forming the Alliance for Democracy, a faction dedicated to steering the beleaguered party back to its core mission of serving the Belizean people.  What does this fifty-first anniversary signify for Faber and the Alliance? Earlier today, we had an exclusive interview with the former party leader, who shared his reflections on this landmark achievement.

 

Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet

“The fifty-first birthday of the party happened last week and I think, more than ever, we can say that at least two of those letters in the UDP don’t mean much or aren’t in full effect at this fifty-first birthday, the unity, certainly, and the democracy.   And that is, indeed, something very sad.  It is the very foundation upon which the UDP Alliance for Democracy is being put into action.  Let me say for the record, clearly, first of all, that the UDP Alliance for Democracy is not a political party, in fact, we are very much UDP.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“Where do you see this going, in terms of the fact that you guys have been effectively expelled from the party and you’re staring down a general elections in 2025?”

 

Patrick Faber

“Well, it’s interesting that you should say that because we are not expelled from the party.  We maintain, in fact, that anybody who would look objectively at the constitution would see that in fact expulsion comes one way through the party and through the constitution and that is by somebody making an allegation against you, sending it to the central executive of the party, the central executive then determining if there is any value to such a claim.  Once it is valued, then it is sent to the ethics committee and you go through an entire procedure where one of, I think, four repercussions could come, one of them being expulsion.”