Posted: Wednesday, July 2, 2025. 9:33 pm CST.
By Aaron Humes: With a clear intent to unify, the United Democratic Party (UDP)’s road to reconciliation has begun.
A statement seen by Breaking Belize News indicates that the seven-member Leadership Executive headed by returned Chairman Michael Peyrefitte met this morning in Belize City. Also present were Moses “Shyne” Barrow; Vice-Chairman Alberto August; Western Regional Leader Dr Omar Figueroa; former Senator and Ethics and Integrity Committee chairman Aldo Salazar and Northern Regional Leader and former Senator Antonio “Tony” Herrera.
Peyrefitte told reporters this evening that despite last-minute objections from Leader of the Opposition Tracy Taegar-Panton, the template presented to him based on supposed agreement between Panton, Barrow, first deputy leader Hugo Patt and August was a good one and it was ratified by the group meeting today.
Barrow remains Interim Leader under the agreement, but concedes that he has no say in his former constituency of Mesopotamia, led by Lee Mark Chang. The Central Executive Committee will meet first, followed by the National Party Council on July 12 at 2:30 in the afternoon.
At the NPC, the agenda will include the official reinstatement of persons expelled from and not in good standing with the UDP; the designation of October 5 as the date for the Party’s National Convention; agreement to hold special constituency conventions in those constituencies disputed by each faction of the party and the winners and their delegates essentially advancing to the Convention. The remaining 16 are those that the party now holds in the House of Representatives and those in which there was no contest between candidates of each faction, a total of 11.
As for the April judgment of the High Court’s Justice Tawanda Hondora and his recent addendum confirming that Taegar-Panton’s removal last year was illegal and void, Peyrefitte contended that the judge was absolutely right to decline to outright reinstall Taegar-Panton to the party: “He also made it very clear that for her to return to the party, the party would have to vote her back in, because as a judge, he cannot tell the party who to accept as its members. It’s not a strange concept in law.” He cited the reasoning of the Privy Council in the murder case of Adidja Palmer alias Vybz Kartel, which overturned his conviction but remanded the case back to the Jamaican Court of Appeal to determine whether a new trial would be held (which it wasn’t).
Shyne Barrow, meanwhile, as a past party leader has a vote at the National Convention but, per the Party’s Constitution, cannot run for any leadership position as he was not elected, though persistent reports suggest he may seek to be appointed a Senator. Peyrefitte explained that the Mesopotamia constituency’s delegates remain in place and there will be no challenge to Chang as area representative.
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The post “United” Democratic Party sets out road to reconciliation and unity appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Wednesday, July 2, 2025. 9:33 pm CST. By Aaron Humes: With a clear intent to unify, the United Democratic Party (UDP)’s road to reconciliation has
The post “United” Democratic Party sets out road to reconciliation and unity appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
