National Campaign Manager Weighs in on U.D.P. Fiasco  

We also spoke with Lindsay Garbutt, the U.D.P.’s national campaign manager.  He was part of a team that advocated for mediation to take place within the fractured party.  Despite making a sincere effort to mend fences, Garbutt says the Alliance for Democracy went back on its word by seeking a recall of Shyne Barrow as party leader.  But what about the John Saldivar factor?  August and Garbutt weighed in on the ousted Belmopan standard bearer.

 

Lindsay Garbutt, National Campaign Manager, U.D.P.

“We made a genuine effort and I think I got together what is arguably the best group of people we could find as mediators and nationally recognized people of integrity, who all felt that a viable opposition is critical in our system of democracy.  We met with both groups and after the second meeting we really felt that we were making some advances.  Two hours after the second meeting, it was published that the Alliance for Democracy had sent out to the chairman a recall petition.  It is extremely difficult to carry out mediation when both groups are not agreed and something like that happens.  So unfortunately, the mediation ceased.  But like what Alberto said, we still tried hard behind the scene to see if we could bring both groups to the table. There are some members that need to go and some new people that need to come in if this party is to have any success in the future.

 

Isani Cayetano

“John Saldivar seemingly remains an influential part in all of this, notwithstanding the fact that he lost stunningly in the 2020 general elections and he has taken a significant hit in terms of his credibility in politics.”

 

Alberto August, Deputy Chairman, U.D.P.

“It is interesting that you mentioned John Saldivar, but the influence that John Saldivar has on the party at this moment stems from the way how the party is governed in terms of the constitution, the dispersing of delegates.  So when you have an individual who controls other people of like standing, it forms a group of delegates who can shift, because you will remember, you can recall, there was one point when John Saldivar was one hundred percent behind the current leader.  When John Saldivar moves, he moves with a certain clique and the is the result of how the party is currently governed in terms of the constitution.”