Tracy Panton: ‘Shyne Barrow Has No Interest in Mediation’

March 12 of this year is officially the day Belizeans will be marching to the polls and casting their votes, and despite the ongoing legal battle within the United Democratic Party (UDP), Tracy Panton stated today that her faction is “absolutely prepared” for the upcoming elections.

Panton said that the recent “demonstration of the teachers, the sickout by the firefighters, the concerns of the Belize Defence Force, the undercurrence in the public service, and the concerns expressed by our healthcare providers is indicative” of the need for “new leaders to take up the governance of this country,” she said.

While she expressed readiness for Decision 2025, the UDP is yet to come to a common table and come through with mediation. She claimed that Mesopotamia’s area representative, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, is the reason behind the delay in the mediation process. She said, “Shyne Barrow has no interest in sitting and talking, has no interest in finding a solution for the United Democratic Party, and he certainly doesn’t have any interest in us to make our strongest case for the Belizean people to become the next government.” Panton added, “If we are in limbo, it is because he is adamant and he refuses to respect the voices of the people.”

In about 30 days from today, the ballots will be in the hands of many Belizeans, and reports made by Hot Off the Press suggested that the Election and Boundaries Commission had recognised two factions of the UDP and would allow both to use the traditional red party colour on official ballots.

Panton stated that the 31 candidates under the UDP flag include candidates that support her leadership and those that support that of the “status quo because the institution and the colour red, they believe, are going to be a determining factor in the next election—that is their prerogative,” she said.

Barrow and his legal team did not hold back and formally requested clarification from the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) regarding recent reports about ballot designations for the 2025 general elections in a letter issued on February 10. The letter, sent by attorney Christopher P. Malcolm, challenges the claims that the EBC would allow two factions of the UDP to use the party’s red colour on ballots. Malcolm warned that any such decision would overstep the EBC’s authority and urged a swift public clarification to prevent misleading the public and damaging the electoral process.

With a date now set for Election Day, will the UDP come forward in mediation? Panton stands in that “the people in the United Democratic Party can be assured that our action that we in good conscience and good faith have done everything we humanly can to find a solution. Shyne has expressed zero interest in that matter. In fact, he has used the narrative to suggest that we are weak because we want to sit at the table.” She added, “I am a member of the United Democratic Party, and Shyne Barrow or his attorney cannot declare me not a member.”