_{Photo: Police secure UDP headquarters perimeter}

by William Ysaguirre

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct. 28, 2024

The leaders of the UDP Alliance For Democracy (AFD) stole a march on Leader of the Opposition United Democratic Party, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, by marching into the UDP headquarters building on Youth for the Future Drive in Belize City and unceremoniously taking control on Monday morning, October 26.

They did this with the tacit approval or acquiescence of the Police Department, who appeared in force with at least three Police mobile patrols and several senior brass, who simply demonstrated the position earlier declared by the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams: that the Police Department would not involve itself in the internal turmoil within the UDP. The Police officers simply took up protective positions to secure a perimeter to protect the safety of persons present, and protect the property, preserve the peace and maintain law and order.

AFD leader/UDP leader elect Tracy Taegar Panton immediately called a press conference in which she publicly presented a letter from former UDP Secretary General, Phillipa Griffith-Bailey, authorizing her to take possession of the UDP office building. They invited the media to witness that Hon. Barrow’s portrait had been removed from the wall as leader of the party, and had been replaced by Hon. Panton’s portrait.

Bailey’s letter explained that the ownership of the land on which the UDP building sits had been transferred to her name as a trustee on behalf of the party on January 16, 2010. Now acting as trustee, Griffith-Bailey said she recognized the validity of the vote taken at the UDP national convention held at the Belize City Civic Center on October 20, which elected Panton to replace Shyne Barrow as the UDP Leader.

Following her election as UDP leader, Panton convened an emergency meeting of the UDP Central Executive committee, at which it was decided to direct the trustee to give her control of the party headquarters building. Bailey agreed and wrote a letter authorizing Panton to access, occupy and control the building, and if necessary to change locks and install security systems to secure the assets and property of the party. Bailey’s letter was copied to Shyne Barrow and to UDP chairman, Michael Peyrefitte.

Throughout the course of the day, Barrow did not appear at the party headquarters to challenge this move, resorting instead to filing a police report, asserting that the UDP headquarters had been “burglarized”. Officers of the Criminal Investigation Branch arrived to inspect the state of the offices and condition of the locks and other assets in the building. They made no attempt to evict the UDP-AFD representatives from the building and returned to their office.

UDP deputy leader Beverly Williams; former ministers Anthony “Boots” Martinez and John Saldivar; UDP standard bearer for Queen’s Square – Godwin Haylock; former UDP standard bearer for Freetown, O.J. Elrington; former mace-bearer, Brian “Yellowman” Audinett; and other UDP functionaries accompanied Panton in taking control of the building up to close of business on Monday. Shyne supporter, former Collet standard bearer aspirant, Ian Jones was present, but made no attempt to intervene in the proceedings.

The Police did not intervene beyond maintaining law and order, demonstrating that they were there only to enforce whatever order may be decided by a court of law.