Hugo Patt Sworn in as New Deputy Prime Minister

After garnering the most votes from delegates during the National Party Convention on Sunday to become the new deputy leader of the U.D.P., Corozal North Area Representative and Minister of Natural Resources, Hugo Patt, has been sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister which means that he sits next to the PM in the House.  The brief ceremony was held this afternoon at Belize House in Belmopan where the oath of office was administered by Governor General Sir Colville Young.  Minister Patt succeeds former DPM Patrick Faber who demitted office on Monday afternoon, following a stunning loss to besieged Belmopan Area Representative John Saldivar a day earlier.  While Saldivar has been voted in as the U.D.P.’s leader in waiting, Patt, as his running mate, has since been installed to the second highest political office in government.

Hugo Patt

Hugo Patt, Deputy Prime Minister

“It’s very emotional.  Really, I think when we started our political career it was a challenging one but we always believe in service to the people and for me the best way you can invite anybody to support you is by producing results and so what you would see is that across the two terms that I have served in the Corozal North constituency, we have always believed in that and that is one of the reasons that we have been able to garner much support.  And so, that is the same insight that we brought into the National Party [Convention] and with that token, as I indicated, I submitted my name to be the first deputy leader of our party and we went on the campaign trail basically with the same ideology that we wanted to deliver services and so we got the support from our party and we are here this afternoon and I am in the capacity of Deputy Prime Minister of this country, of course with the full knowledge and understanding that we have a challenge ahead and we are committed to that.”

Reporter

“Speak if you can now as the Deputy Prime Minister, you have to take over when the prime minister travels and that kind of thing, but we know that the UDP right now is in a fluid state.  The power relationships can change very suddenly and surprisingly, it’s an odd situation you find yourself in where you have more political power than the party leader John Saldivar.  As the Deputy Prime Minister you are the second in charge of the country.”

Hugo Patt

“I will tell you that it is, I have always believed in team work and as I indicated, today is just about formality, it is just protocol.  I don’t intend on being overpowered by anybody, nor do I intend to overpower anybody.  I have always believed in the spirit of team work and believe you me, when Prime Minister Barrow leaves the country, he leaves everything in order so that whenever we assume responsibility it’s because we have a full knowledge that everything is in place.”