Photo: Hon. Shyne Barrow and Hon. Tracy Taegar-Panton
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Jan. 2, 2025
After the October 20, 2024 Unity Convention of the Alliance for Democracy (AFD) led by Albert area representative, Hon. Tracy Panton, there was an attempted takeover of the United Democratic Party (UDP) headquarters on Youth for the Future Drive in Belize City on October 28, 2024. At the time, the TPUDP (an identifier – Tracy Panton UDP—first used by John Saldivar) moved in on the compound and had the locks changed, although Opposition leader, Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow and his supporting executive (the SBUDP – Shyne Barrow UDP) and staff held control of the building. On October 31, the Barrow executive took the matter to court seeking repossession of the headquarters, and for the court to bar the TPUDP from interfering with or unlawfully occupying the party’s headquarters.
On November 4, the applicants amended their claim form, also seeking that the court restrain Panton from “holding herself out and/or passing off as the party leader of the UDP.”
High Court Justice Tawanda Hondora on November 14 returned control of the party headquarters to the SBUDP, and the TPUDP immediately vacated the property. In handing down his order for the injunctive relief on the headquarters control sought by Barrow and other members of his executive as applicants, Justice Hondora stated, “Restoring the status quo ante pending the resolution of the parties’ dispute, will also serve to advance the rule of law and to dissuade parties from resorting to self-help to actualise their claimed rights. This is all the more important for those seeking high political office on whom more and greater responsibility is expected in how they approach and resolve disputes.”
Toward the end of November, defendants Hon. Panton and Philippa Bailey were joined by Hon. Patrick Faber, Beverly Williams and John Saldivar as counter-claimants against Hon. Barrow, et al. They sought resolution to additional matters, including their purported constructive resignation and subsequent expulsion from the party without due process; the validity of the October 20 Unity Convention; and the lack of authority of the National Convention on August 23, 2023, to extend Barrow’s term as leader by mere acclamation beyond his lawful term of 2 years (ending on March 22, 2024). Along with the rightful leadership of the UDP, all these issues will be addressed as part of the main proceedings. The counter-claimants also ask that, in the event the court does not find that Panton is the interim leader of the UDP, that Michael Peyrefitte be obliged to call a National Convention in response to their petitions.
In a significant twist, it turns out that, due to the unavailability of the foreign attorneys representing individuals on both sides (Jamaican Dr. Christopher Malcolm for Barrow, and Peter Knox, KC for Panton) in February and a large part of March, the earliest date on which the one-day trial can be held is March 31, 2025. For this reason, and also due to “the peculiar nature of the dispute,” Justice Hondora is advising the parties to seek mediation. He told the parties that if they choose court-facilitated mediation, they should notify the court by January 6. In the meantime, in his December 23, 2024 order, the judge set out all the timelines that designate the dates by which the parties must make their submissions ahead of trial.
It is left to be seen whether the parties will choose mediation to try to bring resolution to the matter before early elections, which are strongly rumoured to likely take place in March.
Saldivar on December 29 wrote on his Facebook page, “If the two sides cannot without the Court agree on one Leader, then the United Democratic Party will go to the polls with two persons claiming to be Leader. That seems now to be a foregone conclusion. The voting public, the members and supporters of the UDP, will now have to decide who they believe is the true UDP and are the rightful Leaders of the Party.” He then added, “As for the TPUDP, we must decide whether we will go for the win (sixteen) or go for best of the two oppositions after the General Elections. If winning the government is the goal, and in my view it should be, then a final effort should be made to bring the others along; but failing that, then we must present sufficient winnable candidates to form the government. This will inevitably mean that, just as Shyne has nominated candidates against us, we must nominate candidates against some of them.”
That same day, Panton posted, “We need 16 seats to win. We are of the view that together this is well within our reach. Our singular focus at the start of the New Year is to be battle ready … We are now calling on ALL 31 Constituency Leaders to immediately start tweaking your election-day machinery.”