Patrick Faber is the U.D.P.’s First Deputy Leader
The Big Deal versus the Real Deal – kind of sounds like a WWE Wrestle Mania event, but it wasn’t. The U.D.P. convention on Sunday saw John Saldivar going against Patrick Faber for the vacant post of First Deputy Leader of the U.D.P., signaling an end to more than two months of very massive campaigning. If you want to know how important this contest was, you’d only have to look at the money which was spent on a multitude of ads, mobilization, paraphernalia and propaganda and by some reports, very significant ‘encouragement’ of delegates. By election standards Sunday’s event was small – only five hundred and eighty nine delegate voters – but it was intense. So who would take home the prized post at the end of the day? Big Deal Saldivar or Real Deal Faber? Mike Rudon was at the convention grounds and has the story.
Mike Rudon, Reporting
John Saldivar’s campaign claimed that he was a big deal, with support from most Cabinet Ministers, area representatives and caretakers. Patrick Faber’s campaign was different – he claimed he was the real deal, and that it was all about the base, as in delegates, and not about the amount of Cabinet Ministers in your corner. On Sunday who would emerge victorious depended on who you asked.
Manuel Heredia
Manuel Heredia, Supporting Patrick Faber
“From the early morning I have seen the activities from both parties, but definitely you know that I have been with Patrick from the beginning and even before this came about, and I believe that his organization is great, and I believe that at this moment what I have seen is that the delegates for Patrick are coming out in numbers, and I believe that at the end of the day Patrick will be winning by between forty and sixty-five.”
Edmond Castro
Edmond Castro, Supporting John Saldivar
“The base comes out to vote for general elections. That’s when the base comes out to vote. Today is an election for the leaders of the Party. John Saldivar has the leaders of the party out here today voting for him.”
Elodio Aragon Jr.
Elodio Aragon Jr., Supporting Patrick Faber
“I think Patrick Faber has this. At the end of the day the delegates are looking for the right leader for the United Democratic Party and at the end of the day people will vote for that leader that will move this party forward within the next four and a half years.”
Gaspar Vega, Supporting John Saldivar
“I’m supporting John Saldivar so I’ll call it John Saldivar. I think it is going to be a pretty close call but I think John has the advantage. I truly think so.”
And there you have it – no real idea early on of who would win. This particular convention was closed, with a specific amount of delegates representing each constituency and Party committees.
Alberto August
Alberto August, Chairman, United Democratic Party
“For the purposes of this convention, there are five hundred and eighty nine who were on the list to vote this morning. What happened is that the polls opened at nine this morning. We’re going to conduct the taking of the polls from the delegates from nine until two o’clock, then those delegates who do not show up at two o’clock then we have alternate delegates who will be there in their positions.”
Both candidates were confident of victory.
Patrick Faber
Patrick Faber, Candidate for First Deputy Leader
“Very great start to the day. Last night we had a dinner and dance at the Biltmore and we had in attendance over three hundred and sixty delegates so that was a good indication of how things are going to go today. We started off this morning with breakfast and a mini-parade from headquarters with our delegates and the spirit has been high. In fact you can hear them in the background now still out there. The first amount of voters in the line were for the Patrick Faber camp and we will continue to execute our operation throughout the course of the day.”
John Saldivar
John Saldivar, Candidate for First Deputy Leader
“About five hundred or so have already come out to vote, so we have another eighty-nine to vote. I feel very good about the returns that we are getting. I feel very good about those that showed up at our command center at the Y earlier today, and from those numbers I feel very comfortable. It had to have relied heavily on the leaders of the constituencies that were supporting me. They have given a tremendous help. They have shown that their delegates, their base is still with them and today that showed up.”
It may have showed up during the campaign, but it was absent on Convention Day. Counting started just before three o’clock and within twenty minutes the announcement was made. At least according to a majority of delegates, Patrick Faber was indeed the real deal, and the big deal wasn’t such a big deal after all.
Alberto August
“Of that five hundred and eighty-four ballots that we counted, we had the honorable John Saldivar with two hundred and forty-eight voted, and the honorable Patrick Faber with three hundred and forty-six votes.”
Patrick Faber
“I want to thank the base of the United Democratic Party. The delegates of the constituencies and the other elected officials and officials of the United Democratic Party for believing in me and for believing in the kind of leadership that I offered, that of course put the people of this Party before the Ministers of this Party.”
A direct jab from a victorious Faber to his Cabinet colleagues who supported Saldivar in the convention. Mike Rudon for News Five.
