2024-10-29 - Channel 5 Belize

Tracy Panton’s Faction Secures Full Access to UDP Headquarters

Some minutes ago, a statement issued by Tracy Panton under the UDP banner said that “The New Leadership Team of the United Democratic Party (UDP) is happy to announce that, having acted on the authority of the Trustee, we are now exercising the full management and control of the entire premises of the UDP Headquarters situated at Youth For The Future Drive. We are also happy to announce that we are also exercising full management and control of our Party organs, the Guardian Newspaper and Wave Radio.”

Panton, recently appointed interim leader during a convention organised by the Alliance for Democracy, urged all Standard Bearers and their executives to unite and collaborate under the new leadership. Following yesterday’s initial efforts, Panton and her supporters gained partial access to the UDP headquarters, including parts of the Guardian Newspaper and Wave Radio located on the upper floor’s right side. Today, they secured access to the remaining unoccupied areas of the building, which comprises of the conference room and additional offices utilised by the Party Leader.

However, the faction led by Moses “Shyne” Barrow issued a statement addressing the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, stating that UDP Deputy Chairman Alberto August has filed a police report concerning the ‘breaking and entering’ of the UDP headquarters.

Seven Days to US Presidential Elections

Scheduled to take place on November 5, the US election is fast approaching with only seven days left to go. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump are locked in a close battle in key states. Recent polling indicates that Harris has gained a slight edge over Trump nationally, with the latest TIPP poll showing her leading 48% to 47%. According to FiveThirtyEight, Harris leads nationally by 1.5 percentage points.

In Wisconsin, a poll conducted in Door County reveals that Harris leads Trump 50% to 47%, though this is within the margin of error of 5.7 percentage points. Notably, Harris enjoys an advantage among women, leading 55% to 41%, while Trump has an 18-point lead among men, showcasing the pronounced gender gap in support.

In Minnesota, Harris has a narrow lead of 48% to 45%, with only 2% of voters remaining undecided. The poll underscores that jobs and the economy are the primary concerns for voters. Similarly, a new survey in Michigan shows Harris ahead of Trump by three points, 47% to 44%, with 41.4% of respondents citing jobs and the economy as top issues.

Both Harris and Trump are rampin up their campaign efforts. The election process has been marred by incidents of vandalism, with incendiary devices destroying ballots at two drop boxes in Oregon and Washington. Officials have described this as a “direct attack on democracy.”

Vehicle Catches Fire Outside NEMO in Belmopan

This morning, an SUV caught fire outside the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) building in Belmopan City. The vehicle appeared to be a grey Toyota RAV4. Reports are that the SUV belongs to a consultant working with NEMO.

Video footage of the incident shows the Belmopan Fire Department responding quickly to control the fire. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Michael Peyrefitte says Philipa Bailey is not a UDP Trustee

A week after Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton was elected as the new interim leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) at a convention called by the Alliance for Democracy, she and many of her supporters arrived at the UDP headquarters on Youth for the Future Drive, demanding access to the building. Panton said she was armed with a legal right to claim the office after she had received a letter from Phillipa Bailey, the trustee for the headquarters building.

However, following the series of tense events at the headquarters, a statement was addressed to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams. In it, Secretary General Shari Medina on behalf of Party Chairman Michael Peyrefitte stated that Phillipa Bailey “is NOT, and has never been, a Trustee of the United Democratic Party.” According to Peyrefitte, the government transferred the land for the headquarters to the UDP on June 16, 2010. At that time, according to Peyrefitte, Bailey was the Secretary General and the appropriate signatory, but she resigned in February 2013 and was asked to return all party assets.

The faction led by Moses “Shyne” Barrow stressed that they “are the sole owners of the property” and that Bailey cannot transfer rights she no longer holds. Peyrefitte noted that according to the UDP Constitution, anyone managing assets must do so at the direction of the Central Executive Committee, which has not authorised any changes regarding these assets.

UDP Deputy Chairman Alberto August has filed a police report concerning the ‘breaking and entering’ of the UDP headquarters.
Panton told the media yesterday that Medina is no longer the Secretary General and announced that Lyn Ross had been appointed as the new Secretary General after an “urgent meeting” with her central executive committee on Saturday.