Shyne Barrow Insists on Continuing as UDP Leader   

In a letter written on Wednesday, former Area Representative “Shyne” Barrow said that he accepts the party’s call for him to continue as U.D.P. Leader until the next national convention. He cited the U.D.P.’s dormancy, lack of unity, non-compliance with the party’s constitution, and absence of vision and resources as reasons for his decision. However, a press release from the faction led by Opposition Leader Tracy Taegar-Panton later advised that Barrow is not authorized to speak or conduct any business on behalf of the U.D.P., as he no longer holds any leadership or executive role in the party. In response, Barrow issued another release late Wednesday evening, describing Panton’s statement as fake. He referred to Panton and her supporters as the Alliance for Democracy Party, claiming they were acting in the name of the U.D.P. Barrow asserted that until the court decides on this matter, he and the executive elected at the last convention will remain in place. He shared the relevant portion of the U.D.P. Constitution that he believes supports his position and explained that even if he were not the party leader, he would still be a member of the Central Executive. Today, Barrow sat down to explain why he remains the U.D.P. Leader until the court rules.

 

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Former Area Representative, Mesopotamia

“When I had decided that I would turn over to Hugo Patt, rather than follow the procedures, follow the constitution, and set in motion the procedures that would allow for whoever it is the party wanted to be the next leader of the UDP -rather than do that, it is very unfortunate and a total miscarriage of justice and constitutional adherence that Mr. Hugo Patt decided to just flaunt all of our regulations and yield to Tracy Panton. As it stands, until Justice Hondora makes a decision, Tracy Panton has no standing in the UDP. It can’t be that there is a position that because someone is an elected member of the House, they can do whatever they want to do. I was not allowed to do that as an elected member of the House, and it has to be highlighted that I was not only an elected member of the House. I won in a national convention and then I was endorsed in a subsequent national convention, and none of that mattered. So Tracy Panton broke every rule in the UDP Constitution and the idea that because she won her seat, and I lost my seat, we should forget about procedures structure, constitutional compliance is absurd.”