2024-11-08 - Channel 5 Belize

Moses Barrow Wins Court Order to Reclaim UDP HQ

Immanuel Williams, the attorney for Moses “Shyne” Barrow, briefed reporters this morning regarding the court proceedings. Williams explained that the hearing focused on an inter partes injunction filed by his clients to regain possession of the United Democratic Party (UDP) headquarters. He clarified that the court had considered evidence and submissions from both sides before ruling that Barrow and his colleagues could re-enter the property, effective immediately.

When asked about the practical implications, Williams explained that the ruling allowed Barrow and his team to repossess the UDP headquarters as of 10 a.m. today. According to Williams, while this stage of the case focused on the issue of possession, other claims, such as trespass, would be addressed in the main case.

“There’s a date of January 14, 2025 for the first hearing of the fixed date claim form which essentially would be a case management hearing,” and that “we’re looking, indeed we’re looking at a period of months, because after case management, then you have orders to be complied with, and the court directed the parties to see how best we can handle the case, or deal with the matters going forward.”

He also addressed questions about the involvement of Sheena Pitts, who had applied to appear as amicus curiae (friend of the court) but was found by the court to be advising the respondents and thus dismissed from that role.

Williams stressed that while the case touches on political issues, the main claim centres on property rights and the possession of the UDP headquarters. “The focus, yes, is on the property, the land issue. While it is that in the main claim, the court may also have to address its mind to the interpretation of the UDP’s constitution, which is contractual in nature, the main or the fulcrum of this case had to deal with the property rights. However, the court today did express that it did not express a view or a ruling as to the ownership or any rights vested in the property. It was simply possession. Today only dealt with the possession of the property.”

Two Versions of Guardian; More Confusion

Panton Addresses UDP Delegates, Says Court Injunction Temporary, Leadership Unchanged

Tracy Panton, who says she remains as the interim leader of the United Democratic Party (U.D.P.), addressed the party’s delegates following the court’s decision to grant Moses Shyne Barrow a temporary injunction to occupy the U.D.P. headquarters. In her messages, Panton reassured delegates that this is only a temporary situation, emphasising that the legality of the October 20th, 2024, Convention has yet to be fully addressed in court.

She clarified that the injunction does not determine the party’s leadership and warned against party members misrepresenting the morning’s court proceedings. She said the decisions made at the October 20th Convention remain valid, and no court ruling has overturned the will of the delegates.

U.D.P. Leadership Battle Heats Up with Court Injunction

Attorney Sheena Pitts, who says she also serves as the interim chair of the United Democratic Party (U.D.P.), spoke of the legal proceedings that took place in court this morning. Pitts explained that Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow had filed two claims—one for trespass and another for an urgent ex parte interim injunction. Both were aimed at vacating the U.D.P. headquarters. According to Pitts, the court did not grant the ex parte application without hearing from both sides. Pitts added that the court stressed that the interim relief granted is temporary and does not affect the validity of the October 20, 2024, U.D.P. convention, which affirmed Taegar-Panton’s leadership

“What happened this morning is an interim injunctive relief, temporary. It is not permanent. And what were discussed or argued this morning has nothing to do with the honourable party leader; that has not been argued. And so there is no room for suggestion that anything changes the validity of the October 20th, 2024 convention and the results there from. So the interim injunction does not change the fact that honourable Panton is the interim party leader.”

According to Pitts, during the hearing, Tracy Taegar-Panton sought an extension of time to finalise her legal representation from outside the jurisdiction, but the court denied the request and proceeded with the matter. Pitts explained that the issue of trespass hinges on authority, and the U.D.P. argues that they have the legal right to the headquarters, disputing the trespass claim.

The court encouraged both parties to work together to clarify the core issue, which centres on whether Moses “Shyne” Barrow remains the party leader. Pitts said, “His position was one of complete denial that he has been recalled. His position is that he is still the party leader, and I’m sure you can appreciate it if you have pleadings from one person saying he is the party leader and that this group just besieged the headquarters, you will be inclined to consider, hmm without having the opportunity to look at evidence from the other side, pleadings from the other side, you would be inclined to exercise your discretion to say, let me do this in the interim, just in case, so that I can preserve what may obtain for one party. But what is not lost is that the court is saying, because this is an interim relief, the other party still has an opportunity to address this temporary injunctive relief.”

Tracy Panton’s Faction Secures Full Access to UDP Headquarters

Pitts stressed that the interim injunction is temporary and does not change the fact that Taegar-Panton remains the duly elected interim leader.

“All is not lost. This is an interim, temporary solution before the court can make any determination which must involve the validity of that convention. So, any invitation to jump from an injunction to it meaning that Shyne is still the leader would be premature because the court has not made that determination. Substantive arguments were not heard in relation to that this morning.”

BDF Captain Graduates from Guyana University

Belize Defence Force (BDF) Captain Marion Hernandez successfully completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery, College of Medical Sciences degree at the University of Guyana. Hernandez described his academic journey as a “rollercoaster.” He found it fascinating to compete alongside his comrades while embracing the culture of the country and building friendships through leadership within both his cohort and the broader school community.

“The journey has been somewhat of a rollercoaster. It was quite interesting competing with my comrades, embracing the culture of the country, and building friendships through leadership with my colleagues and the wider school community. I’ve not limited myself to being solely an academic but have also pursued leadership opportunities to fully integrate into the entire university experience. I’ve been looking forward to graduation for the past five years. It’s a feeling that I’m not sure I have the right words to describe, but I’m definitely happy about this achievement.”

Back in June, Hernandez was honoured with the Best International Student award when the institution’s prestigious College of Medical Sciences hosted its annual awards and prize-giving exercise to recognise its top achievers.

Belizean Joins Global Leaders at 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Valerie Woods, along with other senior officials from Belize, attended the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Sydney, Australia. The six-day conference concludes today.

Under the theme “Engage, Empower, Sustain: Charting the course for resilient democracy,” over 700 parliamentarians from around the world convened to focus on critical issues such as strengthening democracy, advancing gender equality, and promoting disability inclusion.

Key events at the conference include the 40th CPA Small Branches Conference, where Speaker Woods was elected as Chairperson for a three-year term. Other notable gatherings include the 8th CPA Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference, meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD), the CPA Executive Committee, and the CPA Interim Executive.

In a press release, the National Assembly of Belize stated that the travel costs for the Belize delegation are being covered by the event organisers.

Man Found Stabbed to Death in Independence Village

Police are investigating the death of a 28-year-old man who was found with stab wounds on November 7.

The victim has been identified as Selvin Humes, a labourer from Independence Village. He was taken to the Independence Poly Clinic on Thursday morning. The victim was later transported to the Southern Regional Hospital, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted.

This is an ongoing investigation; a motive has not yet been determined.

A Victory for Moses “Shyne” Barrow

This morning the High Court ruled in favour of Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Michael Peyrefitte, Shary Medina, Alberto August, and Hugo Patt and against Tracy Panton and Phillipa Griffith Bailey.

As we reported, the leadership struggle within the United Democratic Party (U.D.P.) escalated with a lawsuit filed against Interim Party Leader Tracy Taegar-Panton and former Secretary General Phillipa Griffith Bailey. Barrow, along with members of the party’s Central Executive Committee, sought a court order to restore control of the U.D.P. Headquarters to chairman Mike Peyrefitte and remove Taegar-Panton and her team. The lawsuit also questions the legitimacy of Taegar-Panton’s leadership and accuses her of unlawfully taking control of party media outlets. The claimants are represented by attorney Immanuel Williams who told News 5 that the injunction orders were granted with immediate effect.

This is a developing story.

Hurricane Rafael Strikes Gulf of Mexico as Category 3 Storm

As of this morning, Hurricane Rafael remains a powerful Category 3 storm, sustaining winds of 120 mph, says the National Hurricane Centre. The 17th named storm is moving across the Gulf of Mexico as one of the strongest hurricanes to form in the region during this late season. While it is expected to weaken over the weekend, it may still produce tropical storm-force winds and dangerous surf across the Gulf Coast and threaten the southern United States.

The hurricane has already caused significant damage in Cuba, where millions of people are still without power after the storm knocked out the country’s entire power grid. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the affected areas, and more than 283,000 people were evacuated due to the storm, with large numbers coming from the capital Havana.

The NHC advises those living along the Gulf Coast to stay updated on forecasts and prepare for possible impacts as Rafael continues its path.