Shyne Barrow is Back in Action at U.D.P. HQ!

Shyne Barrow is back in the building! He returned to the United Democratic Party’s headquarters on Youth for the Future Drive, thanks to a High Court ruling in his favor on Friday morning. Barrow, the Area Representative for Mesopotamia and Leader of the Opposition, is one of five claimants who took Tracy Panton and former Secretary General Philipa Griffith-Bailey to court over the building’s occupation. Barrow and his team are seeking various forms of relief, which the High Court will address at a later date. This afternoon, he sat down with News Five’s Isani Cayetano to discuss these latest developments. We kick off our newscast this evening with that exclusive one-on-one with Shyne Barrow.

 

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“We are thrilled, extremely grateful for the decision of the High Court to grant this injunctive relief.  We are grateful to the lawyer, of course, counsel Immanuel Williams and the Glenn D. Godfrey law firm, and we just feel vindicated.  We are extremely satisfied that Belize is a place of rules and laws that must be complied with, no matter how right you think you are.  There are procedural norms that must be complied with and we were very confident that the High Court would comply with the case law, all the way to the Court of Appeals, as to how you treat with matters.  You can’t just come and be a political gangster and use violence and use might to have your way.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“What does this mean in terms of a return to the status quo as it were before October twentieth and, of course the resulting events thereafter?”

 

Shyne Barrow

“Well, that is what the learned Justice Hondura said.  His orders were that things would return to the status quo and that the property returns to the Central Executive of the United Democratic Party.  In essence, acknowledging the claimants who came on behalf of the U.D.P.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“On both sides of this debacle, it has been argued that the building is symbolic, as the seat of the United Democratic Party.  There’s also the argument that one does not necessarily have to administer the business of the U.D.P. from that particular location.  What are your thoughts on that?”

 

Shyne Barrow

“The building is essential.  That is our headquarters, that is where we operate.  That is where we have our party organs.  So I appreciate the spirit of comments that may have been made by the party chairman.  Unlike the alliance, who marshalled a hundred people with force and aggression to take something that they said was inconsequential.  We abided by the rule of law.”