_{Photo: John Saldivar expresses support for Hon. Taegar-Panton}

UDP power brokers make social media statement supporting Tracy for leader

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. July 25, 2024

As the day unfolded Tuesday, July 23, there was a flurry of social media posts, presumably started by former Belmopan UDP area representative and current standard bearer, John Saldivar. He wrote, “The first loss she took it on the chin, now all she is going to do is win.” That was accompanied by a photo of UDP Albert area representative, Hon. Tracy Panton, with the wording, “I’m with her” displayed across it. Other UDP top officials and members followed suit, sharing only the Hon. Panton picture and tag with nothing more. Those other sharers included former party leader and Collet area representative, Hon. Patrick Faber; Beverly Williams and former councilors, among others.

Former councilor Jason Edwards gave more of a clue as to what was happening, writing as his caption to the photo, “#I’mWithHer# This is a moment that we, and the entire nation, have been waiting for. At last, our beloved UDP will have the most elegant, experienced, and educated leader. Reform and a red wave can be seen on the horizon. The UDP ship will be led by the best captain, a woman captain. The hour has come! All hands on deck, with full support from myself and colleagues. Belize has waited too long for this moment. #ImWithHer”. Another former councilor, Michael Theus, wrote, “There is a time for everything. This right here is the Hon. Tracy Taegar Panton time. The road will be rocky, but the reward at the end shall be the beginning of leadership that cares, listen, involves and includes us. Forward i say!” Philip Willoughby, ousted as standard bearer for the Port Loyola division, had also posted Hon. Tracy Panton’s picture on his WhatsApp story, and repeated his support on Facebook with several posts.

At the end of the day on Tuesday, Hon. Panton told Amandala that it was too early for a comment, but we note that she had taken issue with the unceremonious removal of Willoughby after it emerged that he had married his PUP opponent’s daughter — a revelation on 7News that came with some leaked personal WhatsApp exchanges between Willoughby and party leader, Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow, who was none the wiser about who was becoming Willoughby’s spouse when Willoughby was asking for bridge financing for the engagement ring.

Reports are that Hon. Panton has asked for the Willoughby matter to be placed on the agenda of a National Party Council (NPC) meeting slated for August 3, which would have otherwise been primarily focused on the postmortem of the Toledo East by-election. 

In light of the Hon. Panton “I’m with her” social media campaign, Barrow supporters also rallied behind him, sharing his photo with the tag, “1 party, 1 leader, 1 mission!” Former councilor Dean Samuels called for unity, and also called out those supporting Hon. Panton, saying, “It is hypocritical that the people who bread butter on both sides continue to push for chaos and disturbance within the Party….. it’s driven by self interest, greed, power…” 

Asked about it late Tuesday afternoon, UDP chairman Michael Peyrefitte said he knew nothing of a coup attempt against Barrow, and told the media to ask those who were making the posts. He added that no mechanism has been triggered to remove the party leader, and also made light of the comment that since the Toledo East by-election, people have been calling for Barrow’s removal. He said the by-election results are “par for the course,” given that the “entire Government with all its resources were down in Toledo East.” Peyrefitte added that the 1,100 votes the UDP candidate received are a “basis for which we can then springboard into the general elections, especially since … the whole government won’t be in Toledo East.” Peyrefitte said that whenever the Prime Minister calls elections, they will be ready.

Alongside the social media display of support for either Hon. Panton or Hon. Barrow, we also learned Tuesday that Saldivar had resigned as the UDP’s Regional Leader of the Western Zone. Later in the day, we received word that Dr. Omar Figueroa, former UDP Cayo North area rep, had been elected to replace him. There are reports that Saldivar got wind of his imminent removal and resigned beforehand.

And while it was mostly quiet on social media on the UDP front on Wednesday, today Hon. Patrick Faber posted from his official page affirming, “I do not support dictatorship and censorship! If I’m unable to say how I feel in the party’s internal structures, I’ll say it here loud and clear! I don’t support the dictator leader of the UDP and he must go!”

As to what can be expected at the August 3rd NPC meeting, speaking last week during an interview, Hon. Barrow declined to discuss the report that Hon. Panton has requested that there be other matters on the agenda. He remarked that there are people who lose sleep thinking of how to overthrow him, but he affirmed that he is not concerned about them. “I know that the majority of my colleagues support me. And I will continue doing the work to support my colleagues. Right now, we’re in transfer period. We need to focus on that, and we have a general election coming soon. I don’t care what the Prime Minister says. He may call it in November. He may call it in March. We need to be ready,” stated Barrow.

As to the removal of Willoughby as UDP Port Loyola standard bearer, Peyrefitte clarified that it was a decision of the NPC, and he supports that decision.