Politics - Channel 5 Belize

Panton to Go Uncontested in Upcoming UDP Convention

Today, everyone present signed two important documents: a resolution outlining the future direction of the U.D.P. and a pledge of support for Tracy Taegar-Panton as the party leader. Panton expressed confidence that she won’t face any challenges, based on the commitments she received today. We asked her about it.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Party Leader, U.D.P.

“That is not the message I received from my colleagues. We are fully united behind my leadership to move the UDP forward.”

Paul Lopez

“So essentially it will be an endorsement convention.”

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“It is a convention that will settle all the leadership ambiguities of the party. It will be done in accordance with the UDP constitution as we did in October of last year and then we proceed in getting the work of rebuilding for the party’s sake.”

Reporter

“Yesterday when Mr. Barrow resigned, he referred to Mr. Patt as the interim leader. In terms of the constitution, how does that work out?”

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“The constitution of the UDP does not speak of an interim situation for party leadership. Section eight speaks to the issue if we lose the leader of the opposition in the house. Certainly, my esteemed colleague, Mr. Hugo Patt can speak for himself. We have all agreed unanimously that we will unite around one leader, and we will work, take our time, energy and resources to rebuild the party so that we can form the government in 2030.”

Panton Plans for Fresh Talent in U.D.P. Senate Appointments

When it comes to the party’s representation in the Senate, Panton emphasized that there will be a fresh perspective with new faces representing the U.D.P. So, what’s next for former Lead Opposition Senator Michael Peyrefitte under Tracy Panton’s leadership? We asked her.

Reporter

“Will you extend an invitation to Mr. Peyrefitte?”

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Party Leader, U.D.P.

“What sort of invitation do you think I should extend to him?”

Reporter

“Will you embrace him?”

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“He has never been expelled or effectively resigned in terms of his participation as a member of the UDP. He has not been excelled. Whether he is apart of the party’s rebuilding efforts will be up to him. I can say to you there will be a new outlook for the party as it relates to the representation in the Senate. There is going to be a new outlook as it relates to the leadership arrangement moving forward. Mr. Peyrefitte has served in the senate as a member of the U.D.P. His tenure is now over and we move forward with fresh new talent that I will bring to the table. We will have a full slate. We will have thirty-one standard bearers representing the UDP that will be duly elevated in tandem with the constitution of the united Democratic Party. We are going to make those decision based on consensus and the decisions taken not only at the National Party Council, but at the national convention when we hold it.”

Paul Lopez

“So what we are looking at here is not the final list of standard bearers moving forward?”

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“What we have here is five elected representatives and caretakers for the rest of the constituencies for the UDP until we take the necessary steps in accordance with our constitution.”

Hugo Patt Supports Tracy Panton as Party Leader

Hugo Patt continues to serve as the Deputy Party Leader of the United Democratic Party. We spoke with him about Barrow’s resignation letter, which named him as the interim party leader. He also shared his thoughts on why he decided to support Panton as the new party leader. Here’s what he had to say.

Hugo Patt, Deputy Party Leader, U.D.P.

“As far as I am concerned we only have one leader and we move forward from there. The U.D.P is untied under the leadership of the honorable Tracy Panton and from there we move on.”

Reporter

“And there can be no pressure in your view now. The election decided.”

Hugo Patt

“The people spoke and the message as clear, we need to unify and that unification will only happen under the leadership of honorable Tracy Panton.”

Paul Lopez

“Was your decision primarily based on the fact that Mr. Barrow lost his constituency?”

Hugo Patt

“My decision was based on unification, we need a united UDP and that is what we got today.”

Reporter

“Do you regret the choices you made to support Shyne?”

Hugo Patt

“The elections actually decided everything. That chapter has closed, that book has closed. We are starting a new one and together we move forward.”

Earlier today, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) congratulated Tracy Taegar-Panton on making history as the first woman to become the Leader of the Opposition in Belize. The NTUCB’s statement continued with, quote, this monumental achievement marks a significant milestone in the nation’s political landscape, as Hon. Panton breaks the proverbial “glass ceiling” and sets a powerful precedent for women in Belize. Her rise to this prestigious position is a testament to her dedication, unwavering determination, and commitment to serving the people of Belize, end quote.

PM Briceño 2nd Term Cabinet Sworn-In

Over the weekend, Prime Minister John Briceño unveiled his Cabinet appointments for the new term. While most positions remain unchanged, there are a few noteworthy updates. For instance, three ministers of state now report directly to the prime minister, including two senior ministers. The portfolio of Youth and Sports has been handed over to Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler, who will be joined by Minister of State Devin Daly. Political newcomer Thea Garcia-Ramirez has been appointed as the substantive Minister of Human Development. Meanwhile, Ramon “Monchi” Cervantes has taken on a junior ministerial role in the Ministry of Education, much to the dismay of his constituency teams. We also heard from Prime Minister John Briceño.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“It is a lot of work trying to put together a Cabinet that you have some sort of regional balance, ethnicity as best as you possibly can. You have also gender. In the case it is only one and it is very tough. For me one of the most difficult things is Ramon Cervantes, Monchi Cervantes, very highly qualified person and I would love to put him in a position but the problem is we already have three ministers from Orange Walk, and if I do that, I could get into trouble because my colleagues will say one concentrate only on Orange Walk when you become the prime minister for the entire country. So, it is a though process, long hours, and a little bit of concentration. But, at the end of the day it is up to me, I as the leader of the party and the Prime Minister, thanks to my colleagues, I am the one that try to find the right fit when setting up this Cabinet.”

Paul Lopez

“When should we expect the CEO appointments?”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“CEOs should be in place by tomorrow, Wednesday the latest. Many of them are going to stay.”

“Monchi” Supporters Not Pleased with Appointment

Prime Minister Briceño acknowledged that P.U.P. voters in Orange Walk North are feeling disappointed because Ramon “Monchi” Cervantes didn’t land a substantive ministerial role. Instead, he was appointed as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education. Here’s how P.M. Briceño addressed the concerns of those supporters.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I could understand the disappointment but you need to remember you are not elected to be a minister, you are elected to be a representative. Monchi has been an excellent representative and the results demonstrate that. I think he won by an even bigger margin this time round, but as compensation I put him in a senior ministry, which is the ministry of education, to go along with Oscar Requena, a very good person, an easy person to work with. I believe that between the two of them there is a lot of work to do in the ministry of education, so this is as best as I could have possible to try to find that balance.”

Three Ministers of State Under Prime Minister Briceño

As mentioned earlier, Prime Minister John Briceño now has three ministers of state under his wing, including senior ministers Dolores Balderamos-Garcia and Rodwell Ferguson. How does Ferguson feel about his new role? Unfortunately, he declined our request for an interview today. However, Prime Minister Briceño did share his reasoning behind appointing three ministers of state under his leadership.

Prime Minister, John Briceño

“It is not a matter of a political grave yard, Minister Dolores made it clear that this is her last election and she will be retiring. So, I felt like what we did with Mr. Price, we make her a senior minister. Because of the size of the Cabinet it was difficult to bring her as a senior minister. But what I did is to bring her as a senior minister of state with Cabinet privileges, meaning she can attend Cabinet meetings. We will also, I give her a special task to be in charge of the National Aids Commission and the National Honors Committee. She also expressed in working with the elderly. So I have already spoken with minister Garcia that Dolores will work with her and she is already happy. And by Minister Ferguson to work in the ministry with me, what I plan to do is use him to do special task. If there is a issue going on in the country or whatever I will say please go take a look at it and see how we can solve these problems.”

PM Speaks on Thea Garcia Ramirez Appointment

The latest Cabinet appointments have everyone buzzing, especially the appointment of newcomer Thea Garcia-Ramirez. In her first term, she’s been handed the reins at the Ministry of Human Development, Family Support, and Gender Affairs. Some are questioning if favoritism played a role in this decision. However, PM Briceño firmly denies these claims, explaining that with only two women in his administration, it was essential to appoint one as a substantive minister.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Simply because as I said, there are only two women and I had to bring her in Cabinet unless I would be jumped upon and they would say you brought no women in your Cabinet. So, since Minister Dolores is retiring, on her way out, then we felt it is important to bring her in to take over. Then, you don’t want to just give her a ministry for giving a ministry sake, but also something substantive and to make the point that Thea is a very competent woman. She has demonstrated that everywhere she is and how she works. I feel that I didn’t want to give her a token ministry, but a ministry where there is a lot of work and she has a passion for women and families and children and this is where she can take her passion and ideas and policies of government into place and practice to make a difference in the lives of people.”

Paul Lopez

“How do you dispel the notion that she is being favored?”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I don’t know how you come to that, how you could ask such a question when I just explained to you why is it that we put her there.”

Thea Garcia-Ramirez Humbled By Ministerial Appointment

We also had the chance to chat with Ramirez, who expressed her deep honor at being chosen by the prime minister for this role. When asked about the rumors of favoritism, she confidently responded that the prime minister recognizes her as a hardworking individual who knows how to deliver results. Here’s more from our conversation with her.

Thea Garcia-Ramirez, Minister of Human Development

“I am humbled, honored, to have been chosen by the P.M. for this huge responsibility. I feel like I am up to the task. I am going to lean heavily on Minister, the honorable Dolores Balderamos Garcia. She has an infinite amount of knowledge and energetic and passion for the ministry. I like to say she is that ministry.”

Paul Lopez

“Of the few you are the only first-time elected representative that is getting a substantive ministry, there must be some sort of disappointment among your colleagues, even those who have some sort of experience and yet a couple of them even got ministry of state positions.”

Thea Garcia-Ramirez

“I think you will have to ask them how they feel, I don’t know to speak on anyone’s feelings unless it is my own.”

Paul Lopez

“You know how these things go. Do you feel like there is some level of favoritism here?”

Thea Garcia-Ramirez

“I think the call to serve comes from the prime minister. It is his choice, so you will have to ask him why he chose, but generally will tell you that women we have to work, three times harder than men to get half of the recognition if we are lucky sometimes. But I know my prime minister sees me for a hard worker, sees me somebody who delivers. I was ready to serve just in my own constituency if that is what he chose. I think I am correct in saying that if he thinks I am not up to task he will demote me and put me where I am suppose to me. It is not favoritism.”

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia Embraces New Role

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, who is the aunt of Thea Garcia-Ramirez, has confirmed that this will be her final term in office. She mentioned that she’s ready to support her niece, the newly appointed Minister of Human Development, whenever needed. When asked if she would have preferred a more senior role in the Briceño Cabinet, Minister Garcia confidently stated that her new position is indeed a senior one.

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of State, O.P.M.

“I have served with distinction under the governments of both Said Musa and John Briceno. I have been privileged to do so. Having bene in politics for a long, long period, I embrace a new role and I will continue to serve to the best of my ability. The decision is the prime minister’s I will embrace it, continue to serve and I will be able to carve out some of the role I will play. At this point my top priority is the people of Belize Rural Central who has reelected me with and overwhelming mandate. So, that will be my top priority.”

Reporter

“Will you be working with Ms. Thea seeing she will be taking over the mantle you leave behind?”

Dolores Balderamos- Garcia

“If she request then certainly, but being senior minister of state in the office of the prime minister, the directives and request of the office of prime minister will of course comes first.”

Paul Lopez

“Would you have wished for more of a senior position or a substantive ministry role?”

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

“No, this is a senior position which I will absolutely embrace.”

MOEST Gets New Minister Appointed

The Ministry of Education has a new leader. Minister Oscar Requena, who previously served as the Minister of Rural Transformation, is stepping into the role. He takes over from ministers Francis Fonseca and Louis Zabaneh. We caught up with Requena to hear about his exciting plans for the ministry and the unique value he brings to the education sector.

Oscar Requena, Minister of Education

“In terms of my value that I bring to the ministry, I want to say I spend twenty-four years in education before venturing into the field of politics. So, I serve form a primary school teacher, to a principal, curriculum officer to a district manager. So, I feel over the last twenty-four years that I served I have learnt a lot. I come prepared, certainly I will make use of professionals and people in the field to support the work that we do at the ministry of education. We bring a vision to the ministry of education. First and foremost it is to ensure that education is a life long process and that we equip all of our children at the different levels, with lifelong skills and values to be able to have their own personal growth and development in education, but most importantly for all Belizeans to contribute to the socioeconomic and political development of our country. Education is the game changer, education has to be the way out of poverty. It has to be the key to the future of our country.”