Hugo Patt has distanced himself from the Alliance for Democracy, making it clear in a statement that he has nothing to do with the Alliance’s convention on Sunday. In a statement, Patt stressed his position as the duly elected first Deputy Party Leader and a member of the National Executive. He says he will continue to work alongside Party Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow. Today we asked both Barrow and Tracy Taegar-Panton about Patt’s position.
Moses Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader, U.D.P.
“He did not go. Hugo Patt, he’s a trillion percent with me. If Hugo Pat was not with me on Friday, they would have appointed a new leader of the opposition. But they lied. They lied. They put up a, a flyer. One second. They put up a flyer, Marion, saying that Hugo Pat was their first deputy. How your first deputy know I come? And if that was your first deputy, why has he not gone with you to the governor general? They are dishonest and deceptive. Denise Burrow wants nothing to do with any alliance and does not support what is happening any way, shape, or form, despite the implication or the innuendos that Mr. Godwin Haylock tried to insert. He has not consulted with Sister B. And I know this because I have met with her. Because I do know that they share a close relationship. There is no doubt about that. They are close. They have been working together in QueensSquare for quite some time. But he does not speak.”
Tracy Taegar-Panton
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Rep., Albert
“Did he say that Mr. Pat was in support of or did he say that he was the first deputy leader because he is the first…I don’t know what Mr. Castro have said. There was no effort or desire for us to act against the first deputy or the second deputy leader who were also endorsed at Bird’s Isle. The same delegates who endorsed the slate at Bird’s Isle were the same delegates who voted in this convention. So you are going to tell me that they were valid at Bird’s Isle but they are no longer valid? By whose declaration?”
Marion Ali
“Mr. Pat issued a press release today to clarify that he’s not associated with the event that was held on Sunday.”
Tracy Taegar-Panton
“He’s not the first deputy leader? Is that what he’s saying of the United Democratic Party? Is he not the first deputy leader of the United Democratic Party because that event on Sunday was an event held by the United Democratic Party.”
The ongoing divide between the two parties has also angered standard bearers of the party who want to see unification and preparation for any possibility of an early general election. One of those standard bearers, Elodio Aragon Junior took to Facebook to write a letter to both sides. Aragon told News Five today he is tired of the dispute and wants both sides to put their differences to rest and move forward as one united party.
Elodio Aragon, Jr., Standard Bearer, OW East
“I’ve always stood on fat for this party to Tamir. I got an N. P. C. And I talk how I things how I believe things should be run, etcetera. But you get tired. Sometime, you know, you decide, you know what? Make this attitude. After all, they are. They are the leaders that themselves. So But it comes to a point where we can’t sit back no more as leaders and continue to watch where we are going. And I will tell you, you know, I was so upset when I saw the press release that was issued right after this, this, um, convention, right? But, and after that press release, then I saw the chairman, and I’m not too happy with what he’s saying. Because at the end of the day, they know fully well what the truth of, of, of, of these things and the manner of how they go about it, like they are not looking at the solution to the problem, you know, they are continuing on a path where we never will come together as a party and if we don’t come together as a party, then we are fooling ourselves because a general election is looming upon us and we have to, to come in and start this issue once and for all.”
And Moses Barrow says he is not surprised by Elodio Aragon’s statement. According to Barrow, Aragon has never supported his leadership of the party, but nonetheless, he tried to build a relationship. Barrow noted that in his statement he did not recognize Tracy Panton as the leader of the U.D.P.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader, U.D.P.
“He has never supported me but again, another demonstration of my democratic principles and values is the fact that even though he did not vote for me in any of the national conventions, in any NPC, I still supported him. I still tried to build a relationship with him. I was giving him support for his constituency. I gave him tremendous support for the town council, and I tried to build a relationship with him, but this is not necessarily surprising because he has always been aligned with Patrick Farber. But what is interesting is he does not recognize that Tracy is the leader of the UDP. So they, they can spin it their way, but look closely at what he says. If he believed that Tracy was the leader, then he would not be asking me to relinquish anything.”
And finally, from Moses Barrow, he says that he has fortified the U.D.P.’s headquarters on Youth for the Future Drive. According to Barrow, he did so because he received credible information that the Alliance supporters would storm the building and forcibly take over.
Marion Ali
“The locks at the headquarters building were cut and replaced. Why?”
Moses Barrow
Moses Barrow, Leader. U.D.P.
“No, they weren’t cut and replaced. Just fortified the building. Just strengthened the security of the building because we received credible information that there were threats that the Alliance would try to breach the building and illegally enter the building.”
Marion Ali
“You feel that there is a potential for violence had you not change the locks or is that still the case?”
Moses Barrow
“Definitely I believe there is a serious threat from the alliance to use violence, to use whatever illegal means. I mean, this is who they are. Once you begin the foundation of your political organization in corruption, deception and fraud.”
Hugo Patt says he is not associated with the Alliance for Democracy. A statement from Patt states, “I, Hugo Patt, would like to clearly state that I am not associated with the event held this past Sunday by the Alliance for Democracy.”
Patt reiterated that he continues to serve as the duly elected 1st Deputy Party Leader and a member of the National Executive and leadership team, alongside Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Chairman Michael Peyrefitte, and Deputy Chairman Alberto August. He says all were elected at the National Party Convention on August 13, 2023.
“As a dedicated and loyal member of the United Democratic Party, I will continue to work and advocate for our party and the people of Corozal North.”
The Alliance for Democracy stirred up the political scene on Sunday with a Special Unity Convention that saw U.D.P. delegates casting their votes for Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton as the new leader of the U.D.P. However, this move has ignited fierce contention between Taegar-Panton’s Alliance faction and the elected executive of the U.D.P., headed by Mesopotamia Area Representative Moses “Shyne” Barrow. Barrow contends that the Alliance has no right to hold a legitimate U.D.P. event, claiming they’ve been expelled from the party. The Alliance, however, argues that they are fully entitled to convene and that Barrow has effectively hijacked the party and leveraged the executive’s authority to impose his will. It’s a political mess, and from the looks of it neither side is backing down. So now the question really is: Who is the true leader of the U.D.P.? Reporter Marion Ali was at the convention and looks deeper into the U.D.P.’s constitution. Here is that report.
Tracy Taegar-Panton
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“Let me hear you, mi gente! UDP! UDP! UDP!…music starts, balloonsreleased, crowd shot and Tracy give thumbs up)”
Marion Ali, Reporting
In what can only be described as an unbreakable show of support by UDP delegates for Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton on Sunday, the Alliance for Democracy elected her as the new “interim leader” of the United Democratic Party. The status of who is the rightful leader is still not clear and may quite likely be subject to a court battle. Both sides are relying on different sections of the UDP Constitution to bolster their position for calling the convention. The Alliance makes its case on Article Six (e) which states, “A sitting of the National Convention shall be scheduled and arranged and a Call to National Convention shall be issued upon a majority vote of the National Party Council or upon petition of one-fourth of all Delegates or as may be provided for in the Party Rules.”.
The Alliance had presented that petition signed by two hundred and thirty-two of the five hundred and twenty-eight UDP delegates countrywide, which was more than needed to trigger the convention. And by Sunday’s convention, that number grew to three hundred and forty-seven delegates in attendance, three hundred and thirty-four of whom voted in support of Taegar- Panton’s leadership and the new executive she brings. That executive also includes Interim Chairperson Sheena Pitts who, according to the Alliance, has replaced Mike Peyrefitte and Interim Vice Chair Lee Mark Chang who has replaced Alberto August. When she spoke with the media following the event, Taegar-Panton said that the results of the voting were final, and that the Alliance would now do whatever it takes to ensure that the results are honoured by the UDP.
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Albert Area Representative
“I am now the interim leader of the United Democratic Party. The mandate by the delegates and the mandate by the UDP supporters who are out here today in the thousands is a clear indication and I will take up that mandate and I will lead this party. I will ensure that the party is united, and I will do everything in my power to have the party rebuild to its days of glory. We will leave no stone unturned; I know have a clear mandate from the delegates and the national convention, which is the highest decision makers of this party. And I act on that mandate.”
The UDP’s current elected area representatives, aside from Taegar-Panton are Collet’s Area Rep, Patrick Faber, Queen Square’s Denise “Sista B” Barrow and Corozal North’s Hugo Patt. And its other elected officials are Mayor Earl Trapp and Councilor Bernadette Fernandez from Cayo. Faber was the only one present of all these elected UDP officials. But there was notable presence by Audrey Wallace, former CEO in the Prime Minister’s Office when Shyne Barrow’s father, Dean Barrow was Prime Minister; as well as by former Ministers Anthony “Boots” Martinez and Edmond Castro and former UDP Port Loyola Standard Bearer, Phillip Willoughby, as well as other party standard bearers. Castro told News Five that he had to show his support for the Alliance after he realized that Barrow was not taking the UDP down the right path. Interestingly, he said that the Alliance kept Hugo Patt as the UDP’s First Deputy Leader.
Edmond Castro, former UDP Minister
“After today, Tracy Taegar-Panton will be the new leader of the United Democratic Party, Hugo Patt will be the First Deputy [Leader], Beverly Williams, Second Deputy, Sheena Pitts will be the chairperson and then we got Lee Mark as the deputy chair.”
Reporter
“So you’re saying that Hugo Patt has now joined forces?”
Edmond Castro
“I just gave you the slate.”
Marion Ali
“Mr. Barrow has said what you all are doing here is a non-UDP event, simply because they are no longer UDP members.”
Edmond Castro
“He is not a UDP. He is a just-come. He nuh understand how the bricks were laid to even build the headquarters. He nuh know nothing much about United Democratic Party. I gave him an opportunity to lead, but he nuh di cut it and I told him, “If you nuh di cut it, I will be vocal against you, my brother.”
News Five has reached out to Hugo Patt for his reaction to Castro’s comments, but he did not respond to our calls or messages. But as it relates to Barrow’s popularity, a question we ask now is this: Is Sunday’s U.D.P. delegates’ overwhelming vote for Taegar-Panton a reinforcement of the recent Viking Poll? That poll determined that while Barrow is Belize’s second most known politician after Prime Minister John Briceno, his favorability ranking is extremely poor, at thirty-fourth out of thirty-six. Barrow and the executive that call the convention and the voting illegal rely on the argument that Taegar-Panton, Faber, and Belmopan and Belize Rural Central Standard Bearers, John Saldivar and Beverly Williams had constructively resigned in late August.
The UDP Central Executive cited repeated violations of the UDP Constitution, particularly Article Five (1) (b) and (с); Аrtісlе Five (5)(а), (b), (с) and (d) аnd Аrtісlе Seven (11).” Barrow also turned to the Speaker of the House, Valerie Woods to kick Taegar-Panton and Faber out of the UDP isle. That never happened because Woods quoted from the Constitution of Belize, which trumps any other constitution. Woods ruled that the two UDP parliamentarians have not informed her office or the House of their resignation as Members. We asked Taegar-Panton at the start of Sunday’s event why didn’t the Alliance take the matter to court for a resolution. She explained that they first needed the vote, then they will proceed to court if necessary.
Tracy Taegar-Panton
“If we need to, we will, but we have to first have the mandate of the people. We must first get the mandate of the delegates, and that is what happens today. And the mandate will be clear after today’s convention, what the people want to see happen within the United Democratic Party. If we need to go to court, we go to court. There’s no turning back.”
Geraldine Tillett presented the motion to rescind him as UDP Leader. The voting started at twelve-twenty and ended at two-fifty pm.The Alliance bussed in delegates from all thirty-one constituencies in a total of seventy chartered buses. It presented nine motions altogether at the convention, including the motion presented by Ernest Banner from Cayo South who presented the motion to rescind Mike Peyrefitte as Chairman of the UDP; Vanley Jenkins from Lake Independence who presented the motion to rescind Alberto August as Vice Chairman, and Geraldine Tillett, who has lived all her life in the Mesopotamia Division where Barrow represents. Marion Ali for News Five.
As we reported, the buses came from far and wide from all six districts, and so did the boats from Belize Rural South’s Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. And the supporters took up a significant space in the seating gallery at the Belize City Civic Centre. An interesting twist to the event was that while Moses Barrow’s aunt, Queen Square Standard Bearer, Denise “Sister B” Barrow, was a no-show, Godwin Haylock, who is the U.D.P.’s new Standard Bearer in Queen Square, did show up to support the Alliance. Haylock pointed to Barrow’s abstention in the House to vote on Belize celebrating thirty-five years of diplomatic relations with Taiwan, something that he considered ridiculous.
Godwin Haylock
Godwin Haylock, Standard Bearer, Queen Square
“When I saw that unconstitutional acts were being committed, standard bearers being removed, the latest one being that you go to the House after that and you say that we cannot support Taiwan, an ally of Belize with a straight “yes” vote. That abstaining was really ridiculous. I watched it again as we went to the House last Friday. You saw that the House Committee members were changed in a most malicious way. The truth is Dean Barrow, Sister B, the entire UDP of Queen Square will never support such as act.”
Reporter
“You’ve been known to be supportive of the Barrows and they are supportive of you. So for us you’re a young figure but a huge figure, but for you to go against Shyne Barrow on a personal level people will see that you’re a traitor.”
Godwin Haylock
“I feel that while the Barrows have the luxury of not coming out vocally against Shyne because they’re family members, I don’t have that luxury to go to the division and say I’m a Barrow and I can’t get into this. I must make a stance for my community and I feel deep down that the principles, the values that Dean Barrow brought to the Queen Square Division are the same values that he would want me to stand for today.”
Geraldine Tillett has been a long-standing resident of the Mesopotamia Division and a stalwart supporter of the United Democratic Party. She presented the motion for the recall of her Area Representative, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, as U.D.P. Leader at Sunday’s Alliance Convention. And she told News Five that while she voted for Barrow in the last election, there was no way she could support him in the next one, so she transferred her vote out of the constituency.
Geraldine Tillett, Resident, Mesopotamia
“Basically, I was a big supporter of Shyne, but then I realised that Shyne is destroying this party because of his attitude, his dictatorial ways. And I refuse to have him destroy a party that I have been working for since I was eighteen years old. I will not allow that to happen.”
Marion Ali
“So, come the next general election, when you get a chance to vote for him..”
Geraldine Tillett
“Not voting for him, not voting for him.”
Marion Ali
“Will you vote against the party this year?”
Geraldine Tillett
“No, I’m not voting against the party. I’m not in the division again. I transferred. I transferred my vote because I refuse to vote for him. But I will not go against my party, so I prefer to go somewhere where I know my vote will be counted because I will not…”
While the U.D.P. status quo has remained unfazed by the Alliance for Democracy’s convention on Sunday, the Alliance members are moving forward to ensuring that the outcome of their convention motions and voting is implemented. Area Representative for Collet, Patrick Faber, said that the U.D.P. will be a stronger and a more unified party now.
Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet
“Belize deserves a UDP that is strong, that is unified, and ready to lead with compassion and conviction. This is not just a time for reflection; it is a time for action. The work we have begun here today will echo across Belize in every district, in every community, in every home. We are sending a message, loud and clear, the UDP is back. And we are stronger than ever. We are ready to fight for the rights of every Belizean, to protect our democracy and to ensure that no one, no one can take away what belongs to the people.”
Sunday’s event saw Attorney Jacqueline Willoughby elected as interim chair of the day’s events, and she conducted the verification of the quorum for the event. Thereafter, Taegar-Panton addressed the supporters and promised them that she will fight on their behalf to rebuild the U.D.P. She told them while they prepare to restore unity and strength, the work is only just beginning to prepare for the election ahead.
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“You, the delegates of the United Democratic Party, all three hundred and forty-seven of you who voted in today’s convention, those who voted for me and those who voted against me have spoken for the people. You have spoken for the fifty-nine thousand Belizeans who voted for the United Democratic Party in the last elections. And you stand here today to say to this nation, we are ready. We are ready to heal, and we are ready to restore, and we are ready to rebuild this great United Democratic Party from the ground up. We are ready to lead this nation, and we are ready to win. Mi gente, mi gente; my people, my people, this is our time. This is the time for the people. Today, you won. The voices of the people won. The voices of the delegates made clear our path. The voices of the United Democratic Party have come together as one voice. And now, my friends, and now you, the members of our UDP family, you, the members, the work has just begun.”
