Category: Politics

During our interview with Moses “Shyne” Barrow, he accused those who support the Alliance for Democracy of corruption. He said that the Alliance wants to take over the U.D.P. and he went further to say that the real leaders of The Alliance are John Saldivar and Patrick Faber. 

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader, U.D.P.

“What is at play here is not the constitution of the UDP,  is not dictatorship, it is ego, it is entitlement, it is all personal agendas, personal ambitions. And that is why those politicians, the Alliance for Corruption they are against me because I’m not a part of their cabal.  I am not a part of their network that existed. Many of them are friends because they used to do their hustling and corruption together. I am not a part of that. And I represent change. I represent integrity. I represent justice. This is an era of politics where elected representatives will actually make sure that the people of this country are getting the goods and services that they deserve and they will not sell themselves to the highest bidder in the private sector and special interests. They want to steal the UDP. They want to overthrow the UDP. This is a failed coup d’etat. And this is not about constitutionality. This is not about any dictatorship. This is about the dictators in the alliance wanting to have control and power. In particular, John Saldivar, Patrick Farber, and they are merely using Tracy Panton as exactly what they say, interim.  Even in the Alliance for Democracy Party, she is the interim, because the real leaders of the Alliance for Democracy Party are John Saldivar and Patrick Faber.”

Marion Ali, Reporter

“Do you get advice from former Prime Minister Dean Barrow?

Moses “Shyne” Barrow

“Yes, we speak.

Marion Ali
“Does he agree with you, with  what’s happening and the way you’re handling the Alliance?”

Moses “Shyne” Barrow

“Yes, he supports, supports my position.”

On Sunday, hundreds of U.D.P. supporters and party members gathered to participate in a convention hosted by the Alliance for Democracy under the U.D.P. The convention was to recall party leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow, which Panton says they successfully did. Barrow has described the convention as a farce, saying that it was a waste of time and money. But according to Taegar-Panton, the purpose of the convention was to unite the United Democratic Party.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“That convention sought  to do a couple of things. One, to convene it so we can hear the voices of the delegates of the party. And two hundred thirty-two delegates requested that the convention be convened. Two, to recall the former party leader, Shyne Barrow from his position of party leader. And we had two hundred eight delegates who triggered that recall. And we met the threshold and at the convention the party leader was recalled. Three hundred forty-seven delegates voted. Three hundred thirty-four in favor of the recall and thirteen against the recall. And the third objective of the convention  was to deal with the business of the party. What would be our platform, the need for constitutional reform was the big one. Also where we stand on women and youth and economic development and all those the policy platform committee, which would have to be working now in preparation for the next elections because it requires quite a bit of consultation with with our supporters and members of the social partners, et cetera.  And of course the last motion of the day was to seek the consensus, if you will, of the people. The National Convention as it relates to who is the leader of the position in the house. So that business was conducted on and on behalf of the United Democratic Party.”

Following the U.D.P. convention on Sunday, participants have expressed their views on the legitimacy of the event and the removal of Moses “Shyne” Barrow as party leader. This raises the question of the future of the building on Youth for the Future Drive, which has long served as the U.D.P. headquarters. The Albert Area Representative, who was named interim party leader at the convention, stated in an interview with News Five that the building is not the U.D.P. but rather the people.

Marion Ali

“The headquarters and the  elected executive, as they were, are still in control of the UDP headquarters. So in terms of getting the business off the ground.”

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“There’s a there’s a fixation, I believe, on this building. The institution as I maintain is not a building. The people represent the institution. If you talk about that workspace, I have a workspace, Patrick has a workspace. Our chairperson has a workspace. If we’re looking at the workspace, I know the headquarters may be symbolic in terms of the institution, but it’s not the institution and we will give it no greater importance than that.”

While Moses Barrow maintains that the event hosted on Sunday by the Tracy Panton-led Alliance for Democracy was not a legitimate U.D.P. convention, the alliance is standing firm. In a press release issued today by Panton under the U.D.P. banner, she declared that Barrow is no longer serving as the party leader, effective immediately. During the press conference hosted earlier by former U.D.P. Minister Anthony “Boots” Martinez, he said that Panton is the interim party leader until another convention is held to elect a new leader since Barrow was recalled on Sunday.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Minister

“As far as I know deh have to invite people fi di position. If my memory serves me right, there must be a convention. Not earlier than thirty and later than twenty days to fill the various post and so as I understand it, that is the interim leader until such time.”

Reporter

“It is confirmed in a leadership convention?”

Anthony “Boots” Martinez

“Yes sir. So the delegates again I’ll have to come back and confirm that. Not with the fanfare sir, Not with the fanfare. So I don’t think it will be so much expense. So the delegates will have to be returning back to make certain decisions. That da just my humble view and my interpretation ah it. Of course I’m no lawyer, but I could read. Well as far as I could read fairly well. You know them kinda way de.”

Returning to Moses Barrow, he claims to have invested millions of dollars in the U.D.P., including funds for standard bearers who do not back his leadership. Barrow further stated that The Alliance is eager to claim the U.D.P. name due to the challenges of securing funding for the party’s operations.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader, U.D.P.

“Nobody wants to give any opposition party money. That’s why they want to hold on to the UDP name. Because even as a UDP  organization, it is difficult to get monies from the donor community. Imagine a third party. And that is what they’re afraid of. And that is why they’re engaged in deception and fraud. But  when Patrick Faber was a leader of the UDP and Tracy was right next to him, they couldn’t raise any money. They complained about that over and repeatedly that they had no money, they cut the salaries of the staff, they could not do anything, they did not have one protest, they did not have one event, they did nothing while Patrick Farber was leader. The point I’m trying to make to you as far as the municipal elections, when  I raised that money and I spent, personally,  I spent millions of dollars on this party.  Since I have been leader and I spent at least a million dollars personally in the municipal elections. When that money is given  to colleagues,  you trust them  to deliver and perform.  And the performance was dismal.”

At today’s press conference, former U.D.P. minister Anthony “Boots” Martinez explained that he never relied on the party to fund his political campaigns. Instead, he funded his campaigns out of pocket, acquiring the money by any means necessary. He, however, used an old saying—one that he shouldn’t have—and retracted his statement after one of the reporters pointed it out to him.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former UDP Minister

“Let me make it clear, United Democratic Party, all the years that I served, I have paid five percent of my salary to this party. And when time there is elections, I fund my own election. Whether theif, borrow, or beg,  I fund my own election with nothing from the party. I just dih seh. I find it, by any means, I find it.”

Reporter

“But you she theif?”

Anthony “Boots” Martinez

“I just di use wa analogy.”

Reporter

“Yo cya use ney kind ah analogy deh.”

Anthony “Boots” Martinez

“I di she I find my resourcefulness wherever I get it. I get it. But any which ways. Let me reframe that. Borrow or beg. Mek we go deh. I wa take back dat theif deh cause you know. Maybe da wa work weh, to me, inna lotta senses, the general public, looks on politician as thieves. Noh mek we hide from that but maybe that’s why maybe I include the word. When you talk about any. The first thing people she, alla unu thiefing politicians. No matter red or blue and that da di truth. But any which way.”

We asked Taegar-Panton how the ongoing rift between the two factions would be addressed, especially with conflicting press releases from both sides using the same letterhead but sharing opposing information. While she assured that the issue would be resolved, she didn’t provide specific details on how it would be handled. However, she hinted at the possibility of the matter being taken to court.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“The former party leader has now been recalled. He has no jurisdiction to speak on behalf of the United Democratic Party. You see, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t have it both ways. And the situation will be remedied. It has to be remedied. And I won’t get into all those details. Our commitment is we will leave no stone unturned. And that is our commitment to the delegates. And that is our commitment to thousands of UDP supporters who showed up on Sunday.”

Marion Ali

“You can answer or you may not. Will it be a legal matter?”

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“It may. It may be a legal matter.”

Barrow and the executive that has been in place refuse to step down or hand over to Taegar-Panton and her executive. Today we asked Barrow if there was a possibility for both sides to mend fences and reunite, in light of speculation among political pundits that the next general election could be only a few months ahead. He said perhaps only under a coalition, but that would have to be decided by the National Party Council. The suggestion is one that Taegar-Panton finds to be nothing short of ridiculous.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader, U.D.P.

“I believe there are some people that that need to go out to pasture and this romantic idea that if we let everybody run, that everyone will behave was tested last year and it didn’t work. So I believe we’re at a good place. The U.D.P. can put forward candidates that are credible candidates that don’t have the baggage. And as I said, the most that could happen in a practical sense would be some type of coalition where we wouldn’t run candidates against Albert, Collet and Queen Square.”

Marion Ali

“Those three.”

Moses “Shyne” Barrow

“Those three. Well, that’s just me sharing my thoughts as always. I am bound to what the National Party Council says.”

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“Have you heard anything so ridiculous as yet? Coalition with who? We are members of the United Democratic Party. The convention held on Sunday, whether he likes it or not like it, whether he wanted to participate or not participate, was a UDP convention and a massive show of a United Democratic Party, a united United Democratic Party. It is the first time in two years that I have seen that level of support by UDP supporters and UDP delegates converging in one space to make a stand for the party and its constitution. There are no two political entities. There is one political entity. The party leader has now been recalled in accordance with the constitution, so there is no coalition to be had.”