BELIZE CITY, Tues. Apr. 5, 2022– Following the UDP’s most recent national leadership convention which saw Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow elected as the party’s leader, many were left wondering whether there would be a reorganizing of the power structure within the party. Last Friday, April 1, 2022, those speculations were confirmed, following the publication of two letters that Hon. Barrow presented to Governor General, H.E. Froyla Tzalam regarding the appointment of two new UDP senators.

In his letters, Hon. Barrow advised that the GG declare the seats of then UDP senators Sheena Pitts and Darrell Bradley vacant. He then proceeded to nominate Ms. Beverly Williams and Mr. Antonio Herrera to fill each vacancy respectively. Both newly instated senators had been candidates in Belize’s 2020 general elections, with Ms. Williams seeking, as a UDP standard bearer, to become the area representative for Belize Rural Central, and Mr. Herrera vying to be the area rep of the Corozal Southeast division. Both had been unsuccessful.

Prior to these announcements, Beverly Williams had been serving as the party’s 2nd Deputy Party Leader, while Antonio Herrera was serving as the Party Caretaker. In a personal statement shared via Facebook, Hon. Barrow congratulated both members on their appointments and thanked Bradley and Pitts for their contributions to the Senate. In that statement, Hon. Barrow also indicated that Bradley will now be assigned to serve as the party’s Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade as well as the Chair of Special Committees on the Central Executive. while Sheena Pitts will now serve as the Shadow Attorney General and Chair of Policy and Planning on the Central Executive.

Darrell Bradley had replaced former senator, Khalid Belisle, who was installed by former UDP leader Patrick Faber on June 4, 2021, but was later removed by Hon. Barrow on June 28,, 2021. Sheena Pitts, however, had retained her post after being nominated by Faber on December 8,, 2020.