Tracy Panton and Supporter Takeover UDP HQ  

If you’ve been following our social media pages, you’ll know about the dramatic and hostile takeover of the United Democratic Party’s headquarters in Belize City. That takeover was led by Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar Panton and her supporters against Moses “Shyne” Barrow, who we understand has filed a criminal complaint against those who participated in today’s event. It’s another escalation for the battle for the party and its organs, and as we saw today, Panton and her supporters are not backing down. News Five’s Marion Ali was there in the midst of it all and has the following report.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

The U.D.P headquarters building on Youth for the Future Drive was the venue of a ruckus this morning when the Albert Area Representative, Tracy Taegar-Panton, along with standard bearers of the U.D.P and about fifty party supporters showed up and demanded access to the building. It came a week and a day after Panton led a convention at the Belize City Centre at which U.D.P. delegates voted her as the new U.D.P. Today she said she was armed with legal right to claim the office.

 

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“We also sought the trustee for this building to have occupation of the building and to use this building for the work of the United Democratic Party – Philippa Bailey, former Secretary General of the United Democratic Party.”

 

Reporter

“And this morning, what transpired?”

 

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“We came over and we took occupation of the building.”

 

Reporter

“Forcefully?”

 

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“No, it was not forcefully. The door was opened for us. A server from the magistrate court was here to serve the relevant documents and the door was open, and we walked in.”

 

But while the trustee for the building, former U.D.P Secretary General, Philipa Bailey handed over the documents to Panton’s team, and she met an open office on the lower flat, gaining access to the upper flat proved to be a bit more difficult. The group managed to gain access to Wave radio, housed on the right-hand side of the building, but up to the time we left after four p.m., the keys to the hall and other office area on the left of the upper flat had still not been delivered. It was unclear who had the keys to that door. Panton had with her two attorneys, Orson Elrington and Godwin Haylock. Haylock explained the legalities of the property ownership

 

Godwin Haylock, Attorney-at-law

“We have a sole trustee of the party when it comes to the property, this headquarters, and her name is Philippa Griffith Bailey. She’s actually a former secretary general for this party, a UDP stalwart a no-nonsense secretariat who reigned during the Barrow era, that’s Dean Barrow era to make it clear to you guys. She has been consulted by our party leader. She has accepted the will of the delegates. We are very pleased that the majority of the delegates are now behind this new party leader. What happens is that Miss Griffith Bailey is aware that she has a fiduciary duty, one that she doesn’t just act in haste.            She gave it long thought; she didn’t do it before the majority of the delegates, that is, were satisfied that we were under a new leadership. I know she has now given the nod to the new party leader to say she is in full support of the new party leader taking control of the building itself.”

 

Panton named Lynette Singh-Ross as the new Secretary General. Marion Ali for News Five.