It’s over for Darrell Bradley, but Not for U.D.P. in City
Darrell Bradley
It’s now official: Mayor of Belize City Darrell Bradley will not run for a third term in office. A decision not to contest the coming internal convention for the United Democratic Party brings to an end six turbulent, but productive years for the attorney-turned-politician and the city he transformed. Prime Minister and U.D.P. Leader Dean Barrow confirmed that Bradley ceded the stage to long-standing councilors Dion Leslie and Philip Willoughby, who will now go head-to-head to succeed him on August twenty-seventh. The U.D.P., which has won the Belize City Council four straight times, fancies its chances of a fifth, but the P.M. says it depends on whether city residents prefer their experience or want fresh faces.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“The date for applications to have come in has gone. Mr. Bradley did not put in his name, so as far as I am concerned that’s it.”
Dean Barrow
Reporter
“So there won’t be any allowances for him to make a late entry?”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“No, not as far as I am concerned now. Of course, I am not the party but in terms of my personal position, absolutely not. And I want to be clear, I don’t have any indication that Mr. Bradley intends to ask for any sort of shifting of the dates to accommodate him, no. My knowledge is that he did not put in his name because he did not want to run again and that’s that.”
Reporter
“Sir, do you feel that perhaps Bradley’s decision to not run again would perhaps, kind of lower the possibility of the U.D.P. bringing in the Belize City Council slate considering that they are looking at new blood?”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Well you’re not really looking at new blood, which perhaps is a bit of a disadvantage; I don’t know whether you want fresh faces or whether you want experience that’s tried and true. But the two persons who have put in their names, both Councilor Leslie and Councilor Willoughby have been there for donkey years. Councilor Leslie, I believe, topped the polls in the two elections; I believe there are two that he ran. So while I cannot in any way underestimate or underrate the power of the incumbency and the fact that that might have been an added advantage that Mayor Bradley would have had, I believe that we are in very good shape with the two declared candidates. And while the elections in Belize City will not be anything remotely approaching a cakewalk, I think we can win.”
