High-Ranking U.D.P.’s Boycott NPC

We now turn to politics….The United Democratic Party (U.D.P.) held its National Party Council (N.P.C.) meeting to evaluate its performance in the 2024 municipal elections. However, a group of high-ranking members, including John Saldivar and Patrick Faber, boycotted the meeting and held a separate gathering at the Biltmore Hotel. They refused to comment on their absence or the purpose of their meeting. Meanwhile, U.D.P. leader Moses Shyne Barrow remained at the headquarters, emphasizing that the majority of members were present and reaffirming his leadership. News Five was at both meetings and Hipolito Novelo reports.

 

Hipolito Novelo, Reporting

At its headquarters at the foot of the BelChina Bridge, the United Democratic Party held its National Party Council meeting on Saturday. On the agenda: an assessment of the party’s performance in the 2024 municipal elections.

 

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“Well,  it was an NPC meeting for the parties, internal party matters that we discussed. But, you know, one can imagine that a big part of it was an assessment of the March 6th elections. What we did wrong, what we did right, and how we could improve. Pretty much that’s it.”

 

But three miles away, inside the Black Orchid Room at the Biltmore Hotel, a private meeting- an anti NPC meeting . Inside high ranking senior members of the UDP including John Saldivar, Patrick Faber, Edmond Castro and Beverly Williams. They spent about two hours meeting. They then emerged saying No comment.

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Mister John Saldivar, sir”

 

John Saldivar, Member, United Democratic Party

“No comment.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“They are claiming that this group boycotted the NPC. How do you respond.

 

  John Saldivar

 “No comment. Please respect me. I said no comment.

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Miss Dianne Finnegan says that you are all following negativity.

 

John Saldivar

“No Answer”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Mr. Saldivar, are you able to say whether you are happy with the leadership of the UDP?”

 

John Saldivar

“No answer”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Was this meeting to oust Shyne barrow as the leader of the UDP?”

 

John Saldivar

“No answer”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Mister Faber are you able to say why you boycotted the UDP NPC meeting at the headquarters?

 

Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet

“No answer

 

Hipolito Novelo

“How do you feel at the end of this meeting today?

 

Patrick Faber

“No answer.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Do you feel that the goal was met today with the other  UDPs?

 

Patrick Faber

“I will  not comment at this time.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Miss Bev, are you able to say why you boycotted the NPC meeting?”

 

Beverly Williams, Member, United Democratic Party

“I don’t have any comment at this time.

 

Hipolito Novelo

“How do you feel about the meeting today? “

 

Beverly Williams

“Very positive.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Its goal was met? Was the goal to remove Shyne Barrow as the leader of the UDP?”

 

Beverly Williams

“I don’t know of any such goal. No comment.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Mister Castro, if I could ask you why is it that you  boycotted the NPC meeting with Shyne Barrow.”

 

Edmund Castro, Member, United Democratic Party

“No man, no man you can’t ask me about…there is nothing to say.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“But there was an NPC meeting scheduled today. You didn’t show up.

 

Edmund Castro

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Mr. Barrow and the chairman are still at the HQ.”

 

Edmund Castro

“There are they? Maybe I go look for them.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Maybe we go there.”

 

Edmund Castro

“Maybe I’ll go look for them.”

 

Meanwhile, Party Leader Moses Shyne Barrow, Party chairman Michael Peyrefitte, along with UDP caretakers and officials were still meeting. The NPC meeting lasted about five hours, and during those five hours Barrow says he wasn’t aware of any other meeting.  But one thing he was aware of is that he has the majority.

 

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader, U.D.P.

“I don’t know where people are as far as  who did not attend. I know Hugo, um, had a family emergency with the death of his family. He’s still mourning. Um, he had his representatives here. The majority.  The far majority of constituencies  were here and that is all that matters.”

 

John Saldivar

“People are always absent from NPC meetings. it’s not news when anybody is.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“I mean, in this case, they boycotted the NPC meeting. John Saldivar, Patrick Farber, Mr. Guerrero from San Pedro, Mr. Denny Grijalva from Orange Rock, Mr. Ms.Beverly from Belize Rural.”

 

Michael Peyrefitte

“Is that what they said? I don’t know. I don’t know. We just talked.

 

Hipolito Novelo

“They were invited to this NPC.”

Michael Peyrefitte

“Well, all members of the NPC are invited.

 

Hipolito Novelo

“They had their own meeting at Biltmore.

 

Michael Peyrefitte

“But I don’t know about that. We have an NPC. All members of the NPC are invited. And who comes? Comes, who doesn’t come come. It’s a free country.”

 

Moses “Shyne” Barrow

“You need a majority.  And I have the majority here at the National Party Council. I have been re elected by the National Convention. So obviously we know the history of the party and we know the individuals who have their ambition to lead the party. And that is what it is, but I’m more concerned with the majority that was here.”

 

Michael Peyrefitte

The National Convention has taken a position on the leadership situation of  Shane Barrow, so I don’t see how any meeting at the Biltmore can change that. The National Party Council meeting, the only meeting recognized by the party, happened at the party headquarters. Today, that’s the only meeting I know about. The national convention said that the honorable shine borrow is the leader of the UDP until the 2025 general elections. I don’t, there’s no higher body than the national convention. So any so called meeting to discuss that is mute. Nothing changed that. I don’t know what’s the purpose of that.”

 

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.