P.M. Condemns Anti-Patrick Faber Ad Mentioning Divorce, Alleged Assault

Dean Barrow

With the countdown officially on to the retirement of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, speculation has begun on the internal race to succeed him. Deputy Prime Minister and first deputy leader of the United Democratic Party, Patrick Faber, is considered the clear-cut favourite after defeating John Saldivar last May for the post.  He has been boosted by successive scandals hitting Saldivar and former D.P.M. and deputy leader Gaspar Vega, but he may have to contend with problems of his own.  A recent advertisement shows excerpts from Faber’s divorce case brought by his former wife.  The ad also refers to the incident in Ladyville where Faber was accused of assault by a girlfriend who later retracted her claim. The Prime Minister, a veteran campaigner who is not shy of the rougher side of politics, told reporters on Friday that he believes the ad, which posits reasons why Faber would not make a good party or national leader, goes beyond the pale.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“I heard [Michael] Finnegan asked him about it and he said they took stuff out of his divorce proceedings. If that is so, man, that really should not be countenanced. That’s bad, that’s bad.”