UDP-AFD date on October 20. Make up or break up?

Photo: Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow – Leader of the UDP and Hon. Tracy Panton – Albert area representative

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct. 7, 2024

In an interview on September 18, following his State of the Nation response to Prime Minister John Briceño’s State of the Nation address, Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow, as Leader of the Opposition reported that the National Party Council (NPC) had voted to expel the four dissenting members of the United Democratic Party (UDP) who formed the Alliance for Democracy (AFD). When we asked how the meeting had been held, he said via WhatsApp. The AFD, led by Hon. Tracy Panton refuted the claim that an NPC meeting was held. Deputy Party Chairman, Alberto August would later confirm in a response to a Facebook post that no NPC meeting had taken place. He wrote, “We made two attempts to discuss Party business at the NPC, the first was boycotted and the second was disrupted. We have made no other attempt since.”

Well, on Friday, October 4, the Secretary General of the UDP, Shary Medina reported that the NPC passed several motions that day, including one cementing the expulsion of the four AFD members following a decision of August 28, 2024, of the Central Executive of the Party. Additionally, Medina said the NPC reaffirmed the August 13, 2023, decision of the National Convention, the Party’s highest decision-making body, for the current executive with Barrow as the Party Leader to “serve until the National Convention to be held immediately after the next General Election.”

According to Medina, the NPC also supported Party Chairman Michael Peyrefitte’s adherence to the National Convention decision of August 13, 2024, “which compelled him to reject the petitions that came before him attempting to disturb the decisions of the National Convention and National Party Council.” The NPC also addressed one of the points of contention for the AFD members, that is, the removal of Philip Willoughby and Andrew Bradley as UDP standard bearers in their divisions. The AFD claims this was done arbitrarily without due process and in contravention of the Party’s constitution. Disagreeing with that posture, the NPC voted to support the decision of the Central Executive to remove both candidates.

The NPC then proceeded to declare that the UDP is NOT holding a National Convention on October 20th, which is being announced by the AFD as if it were a UDP event. The NPC went on to denounce this as fraud and deception, and referred to the AFD as the Alliance for Democracy Party.

Not long after the UDP NPC statement was released, the AFD rejected the NPC vote stating that only 39 out of 116 delegates voted in favour of the motion to expel the four members of the AFD. This was done via the NPC’s WhatsApp group. The AFD statement reads, “… the Party Leader has failed to garner majority support, but has declared the motion passed.” The AFD affirms that this is yet further proof “that the Party is not being run constitutionally, and that the expulsions were never validated.” The AFD added also that the motion was carried without the members being taken before the Ethics Committee for “a due process review of their infractions.”

Prior to Friday’s NPC tabling of motions, the AFD had released an agenda for the unity convention to be held at Bird’s Isle. The event kicks off with a welcome address by Beverly Williams after which there will be a verification of quorum and the election of a temporary chairperson, as the AFD reports that they are following all procedures and requirements of the UDP. In the 21-page document setting out the motions to be tabled, the AFD invited all UDP delegates to attend so that the decisions taken “reflect the will of the UDP members and set us on the right path forward.”

The first of the 9 motions is to rescind the endorsement of the Chairman, and then that of the Vice Chairman, after which they will move to recall Party Leader Barrow by secret ballot vote. Thereafter, the delegates will vote to appoint interim leaders. The event will also include a guest speaker and a special address by Panton.

Notably, in the midst of all that has been going on in the fractured UDP, a public notice was circulated on September 22nd with a call from a so-called Alliance for Democracy Party to attend their October 20 convention where Panton would be named party leader. That was promptly rejected as fake by Panton.

Asked to speak about the current state of affairs in the UDP, the People’s United Party’s Kareem Musa described it as a real spiralling of the Party, AND its leader, whom he described as a “bit unhinged”, given that the AFD members are saying that he “has been behaving very dictator-like.” Musa remarked, “It’s gonna be interesting post October 20.”

Interestingly, among the NPC motions reportedly tabled and passed on October 4th was a declaration featuring the reaffirmation of the NPC’s gratitude to the Republic of China (Taiwan) and their celebration of 35 years of strong Diplomatic Relations between our Nations. As you may recall, Barrow, in an interview during a break at the last House Meeting, had criticized Taiwan saying it was getting involved in our party politics in the way it was distributing its grant funding.