Politics - Channel 5 Belize

Doctor Zabaneh Removed from Ministry of Education

Doctor Louis Zabaneh, who previously served as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, has now taken on a new role as the Minister of Indigenous Constitution, Religious Affairs, and Transport. Given his significant contributions to curriculum reform over the past four years, why wasn’t he appointed as the main Minister of Education? Should Doctor Zabaneh feel disappointed by this decision? We posed these questions to the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“There are many things I look at when I am trying to appoint ministers. So, I don’t think that Dr. Zabaneh should anyway feel that. We have actually elevated him, made him a full minister. Mr. Requena has moved from Rural Transformation to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Minister Fonesca holds on to the post of Culture, something he is passionate about. He is also passionate about education, that is why when I asked him to take over foreign affairs, he wanted to finish the work he started at education before exiting an concentrating on the ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Culture and Immigration, which is now part of the ministry. I had to hold it on for a little while until he can assume all of those ministries.”

With No Seat in the House, Can Shyne Still Lead UDP?

Last Wednesday, Shyne Barrow was ousted from his seat in the House of Representatives. Voters in Mesopotamia decided it was time for a change, electing Lee Mark Chang in a heated three-way race. But the drama isn’t over yet—there’s still a High Court case filed by Barrow and his former U.D.P. executives, set to be heard on March thirty-first. With Barrow losing his seat, he’s no longer eligible to lead the party, according to the United Democratic Party’s constitution. The big question now is: what impact will Justice Tawanda Hondora’s ruling have on Tracy Taegar-Panton’s leadership of the U.D.P.?

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“Well, I don’t know what the court will decide and I can’t preempt the thinking and consideration of the judge on this matter, but I think it’s a paper case at this point. Shyne did not win his seat and the constitution of the party is very clear, you cannot be the leader of the party if you do not win your seat in an election. It is really unfortunate that Shyne keeps pulling at straws and not do the right and honorable thing and tender his resignation to the party. You know, people are exhausted by this desire of his to hold on to something that he can’t hold on to and to continue to create the kind of confusion that the party doesn’t need at this time. I have reached out to all my colleagues, all thirty-one, with the exception of the four who decided that they were leaving the party, because it’s time to reconcile, it’s time for us to heal and to rebuild, and the reconciliation and healing period has to be short. The rebuilding is going to take time. A lot of harm has been done to the party and I put that squarely on the shoulders of the former party leader, the former chairman and the former vice chairman of the United Democratic Party.”

PM Briceño Congratulates Opposition Leader Panton

Prime Minister John Briceño congratulated Tracy Panton today on her historic achievement as the first woman to be sworn in as Leader of the Opposition. PM Briceño praised her hard work and dedication, saying she truly deserves the role. When asked if he would miss Moses ‘Shyne’ Barrow in the house, the prime minister opted to stay silent on the matter.

Prime Minister John Briceno

“I congratulate her. She has worked hard to be where she is and she deserves it. I know it is a big deal being the first female leader of the opposition. But that position is not about being a make or female, it is about the competence that you ring to the table. She has a lot of hard work ahead of her in trying to heal the party and I wish her well.”

Reporter

“Do you feel like you will have to change your debate tactics so as to not come off mesogenic because she is a woman?”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I don’t think she will be asking for any kind of special treatment. When she called me one of the things she brought up, and I agreed, we want to improve the level of discourse and debate in the National Assembly. If you look back at the past thirteen years, it is probably one of the worst times in the National Assembly. I have attempted to improve and we have improved considerably, but we have ways to go. The then leader of the opposition, sometimes it was difficult to work with him. But I believe the Leader of the Opposition, Honorable Tracy Panton will being a different approach to the work of the National Assembly and we can cooperate in matters of national interest while still protecting the interest of our party. But I do look forward to working with her.”

Reporter

“Will you miss Mr. Barrow?”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“What is your question?”

Briceño Administration Prepares for Budget Debate

The Briceño administration’s next big task is gearing up for the budget debate. Prime Minister John Briceño mentioned that the budget is already partially prepared and should be finalized by early next month.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“That is one of the things that Mr. Coye is going to be working with us, even as a minister of state or in whatever form. He is going to be helping to reshape the budget. Obviously we will not be able to finish by the end of the month, but I don’t see what it should go beyond April. A lot of it has been done, but we need to make some tweaks here and there to present a budget that is workable.”

Reporter

“Are we looking over a billion again?”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Of course it is over a billion, especially when it comes to expenses, it is difficult, especially the recurrent expenses. I think recurring expenses is already over a billion dollars and it is difficult to cut from that.”

Minister Mahler Commits to Marked Improvements in Sports

One decision that’s drawing a lot of attention is the move to place the Ministry of Youth and Sports under the Ministry of Tourism. Anthony Mahler has been reappointed as the main minister, while Prime Minister John Briceño has brought in newcomer Devin Daly as the minister of state. When we spoke with Minister Mahler today, he promised significant improvements for sports within the first one hundred days.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Sports

“The Prime Minister in his infinite wisdom decided I could take up the role for youth and sports. If you look at the population, sixty-eight, seventy percent of the population is under thirty., which they play a crucial role. I am tired of hearing the youth is our future, the youth is now. They make up a huge part of our labor force, they are driving the economy forward and they should be given the recognition. The same thing with sports, there is nothing in this country or anywhere in the world that unites a people, no politics, no church, nothing. So, these things have a ways to go in terms of reaching a level they should be, but Minister Daly and I will work tirelessly to ensure that sports and youth get the right attention it needs.”

Paul Lopez

“How daunting of a task when you think about the work that needs to be done where sports is concerned, facilities, investing in the athletes, people have this notion that you have these backing and so the expectations will be high.”

Anthony Mahler

“I don’t know which backing you are talking, Mr. Daly and I have the will, and the focus and the drive to get it done. You will see mark improvement within the hundred days. I assure you of that, and the nation of that. We nuh come fuh play, we come fih work serious.”

Briceño Reshapes Cabinet for Second Term with New Faces and Portfolios

Prime Minister John Briceño has reshuffled his Cabinet for his second term, introducing new ministerial portfolios and reassigning key positions. These are the key changes, additions, and removals.

John Briceño (Prime Minister)

Previous: Finance, Economic Development, Investment, Civil Aviation, and Immigration
Now: Finance, Investment & Economic Transformation, Civil Aviation, and E-Governance
Key Change: Economic Transformation added, Immigration removed, E-Governance added.
Ministers of State: Dolores Balderamos Garcia (Office of the Prime Minister), Rodwell Ferguson (Office of the Prime Minister), Dr. Osmond Martinez (Economic Transformation)

Cordel Hyde

Previous: Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Natural Resources, Petroleum & Mining
Current: Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Natural Resources, Petroleum & Mining
No change

Jose Mai

Previous: Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, & Enterprise
Current: Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, & Enterprise
No Change
Minister of State Alex Balona: Agriculture

Julius Espat

Previous: Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing
Current: Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing
No Change

Kareem Musa

Previous: Minister of Home Affairs & New Growth Industries
Current: Minister of Home Affairs & New Growth Industries
No Change

Kevin Bernard

Previous: Minister of Health and Wellness
Current: Minister of Health and Wellness
No Change

Francis Fonseca

Previous: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Education, Culture, Science, and Technology
Now: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Culture, and Immigration
Key Change: Education, Science & Technology removed; Immigration added.
Marconi Leal Jr. is Minister of State: Foreign Trade.

Oscar Requena

Previous: Rural Transformation, Community Development, Local Government & Labour
Now: Education, Science & Technology
Key Change: Shifted from Rural Development to Education.
Ramon Cervantes is Minister of State: Education, Science & Technology.

Dr. Louis Zabaneh

Previous: Minister of State in Education, Culture, Science & Technology
Now: Full Minister of Indigenous Constitution, Religious Affairs & Transport
Key Change: New portfolio focusing on indigenous affairs and transport.

Michel Chebat

Previous: Public Utilities, Logistics & E-Governance
Now: Public Utilities, Energy & Logistics
Key Change: E-Governance moved to the Prime Minister’s portfolio. Energy added.
Gilroy Usher Sr. is Minister of State: Public Utilities, Energy & Logistics.

Henry Charles Usher

Previous: Public Service, Constitutional & Political Reform, and Religious Affairs
Now: Public Service & Governance and NEMO
Key Change: Constitutional & Political Reform removed, NEMO (National Emergency Management Organisation) and Governance added.

Orlando Habet

Previous: Sustainable Development & Climate Change
Now: Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Solid Waste Management
Key Change: Solid Waste Management added.
Ramiro Ramirez is Minister of State: Sustainable Development & Solid Waste Management.

Anthony Mahler

Previous: Tourism & Diaspora Relations
Now: Tourism, Youth, Sports & Diaspora Relations
Key Change: Youth & Sports added.
Devin Daly is Minister of State: Youth & Sports.

Andre Perez

Previous: Blue Economy & Disaster Risk Management
Now: Blue Economy & Marine Conservation
Key Change: Disaster Risk Management removed, Marine Conservation added.

Florencio Marin Jr.

Previous: National Defence & Border Security
Now: Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour & Local Government
Key Change: Moved from Defence to Rural Transformation.

Oscar Mira

Previous: Minister of State in National Defence & Border Security
Now: Full Minister of National Defence & Border Security
Key Change: Promoted to full minister.

Thea Ramirez (New Addition)

Portfolio: Human Development, Family Support & Gender Affairs
Key Change: New minister replacing Dolores Balderamos Garcia in a restructured ministry.

Elvia Vega-Samos (Previously: Minister of State in Human Development). Not listed in new Cabinet. She ran as an independent and was not elected.

Jorge “Milin” Espat (Previously: Minister of State for Investment in Finance, Economic Development, Civil Aviation, and Immigration). Not listed in new Cabinet. He was not elected.

Anthony Sylvester is the Attorney General.

Ambassador Stuart Leslie will serve as Cabinet Secretary and Chief of Staff.

First Woman Opposition Leader Sworn-In

Tracy Taegar-Panton has just made history as the new Leader of the Opposition! She was officially sworn in today at the Belize House in Belmopan, becoming the first woman to ever hold this position in the House of Representatives. Just this Wednesday, she secured her third term as the Area Representative for the Albert division. Before the general election, there were efforts to have her replace Moses “Shyne” Barrow as the opposition leader, but she couldn’t gather enough support at that time. However, tonight is a different story—Panton now has the majority backing, and Barrow is out of the picture. Key figures like Godwin Haylock, Lee Mark Chang, Miguel Guerra, and Hugo Patt have all rallied behind Panton. Interestingly, Guerra, who ran under Barrow’s U.D.P., was present at her swearing-in today, and Patt has even written to the Governor General to declare his support. News Five was on the scene for the swearing-in ceremony, and we had the chance to chat with Panton about her exciting new role.

Tracy Taegar Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“It is a historic day for me and my family, but for all women and girls in this country who aspire for leadership. I am entirely grateful to all those who have supported me, particularly the people of the Albert constituency. I could not be here without them voting for me and supporting me for the last ten years.”

Reporter

“Did you ever envision this moment when you first joined politics?”

Tracy Taegar Panton

“Not at all. In fact, I never envisioned being in politics in my younger years. Being here is a natural progression in terms of my work in public life. I am humbled and extremely grateful for an opportunity to serve at this level of governance. I hope I will be able to have a positive impact, affect meaningful change in the national assembly that we can elevate the dialogue, elevate the debate, step away form personal attacks and really look at the issue people are facing in the country. I am here to serve and ready to lead.”

Panton Opposition Leader But Who is The U.D.P Leader?

Panton says her top priority is to rebuild the United Democratic Party. Although Barrow is no longer a factor in the House of Representatives, he still holds his position as the leader of the U.D.P. Panton mentioned that this is something her legal team will handle. And what about the candidates who ran under her leadership and lost, like John Saldivar and Patrick Faber? We asked her what role they will play in the future of the party.

Tracy Taegar Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“That is yet to be determined. This is day one. We are running on fumes. I am running on fumes. It has been a long and very challenging journey. My faith in God and my children has kept me grounded. For that I am grateful. The U.D.P. has to rebuild, reconcile and heal and we have to do that in short order. We are getting ready now to be the next government in 2030.”

Reporter

“What is the first step you will take to rebuild the party? I know that Mr. Patt has thrown his support behind you and Mr. Guerra is here to show his support.”

Tracy Taegar Panton

“Well we have to meet as a wider U.D.P. family. I have been speaking to my colleague individually but it is time to come together as a U.D.P. family, do a proper postmortem of what has happened, so that we can be guided as to what our next step will be.”

Reporter

“What is the road to regaining control of the HQ looks like. I know Mr. Barrow maintains that he is the party leader.”

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“That is a matter for my legal team to address and they wull be addressing it in the next couple of days.”

Reporter

“But what do you make of the post where he calls himself the party leader still?”

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“I did not see that post. I am still busy trying to deal with today to address this very historic moment for women, girls in this country, for Belizeans form the north to the south, east to west, you have a leader of the opposition that is completely committed to preserving and promoting Belize’s democracy.”

“Patrick Faber Will Play A Prominent Role in U.D.P.’s Future”

Patrick Faber, one of Tracy Taegar-Panton’s strongest allies, couldn’t secure his sixth consecutive term representing Collet. He lost to political newcomer Devin Daly by nearly two hundred votes. Today, we asked Panton for her thoughts on Faber’s defeat in that division. Here’s what she had to say.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“I think if you were vigilant on the ground on election day as members of the media, you would know that huge insane amounts of monies were spent not only in Collet but in other constituencies. It is a blow to our democracy that we have gotten to the place where money is going to determine the future of this country. Patrick Faber is a colleague of mine, he is a formidable politician. I enjoy his support and he will have a very prominent role to play in the U.D.P. as we move forward.”

Panton Says “ Mission Accomplished” in Mesop

“Lee Mark Chang is the reason Moses “Shyne” Barrow is no longer in the House of Representatives. Panton and her team strategically placed Chang in Mesopotamia with the sole aim of unseating Barrow. Chang did just that, and he did it convincingly, defeating Barrow by a two-to-one margin. Today, Panton proudly declared, ‘mission accomplished.’

Paul Lopez

“Let us look at the success in Mesop, would you say, mission accomplished?”

Tracy Taegar Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“Mission accomplished. Our mandate that we received on October twentieth at the U.D.P. convention that was held at the Civic Center was for us to defend our democracy, to do everything we can to heal and restore the trust and confidence of the people in the United Democratic Party in Mesop and Lee Mark’s win is indicative of our commitment to making good on that mandate.”

Reporter

“There were certain constituencies in which the P.U.P. won by large, extraordinary margins, I think Cordel won by like ninety six percent, do you fear it will take multiple terms to decrease those margins?”

Tracey Taegar-Panton

“2030, the United Democratic Party will be the new government.”