Tracy Panton Lays out U.D.P.’s Constitutional Policy on Leadership

Tracy Panton

Earlier this week, Albert Area Rep. Tracy Panton also appeared on Open Your Eyes where she laid out the U.D.P.’s constitution, particularly where leadership succession is concerned.  While it was her hope that Deputy Party Leader, Hugo Patt, would assume the role of Leader of the Opposition, he has since indicated via letter that he is supporting Shyne Barrow in that capacity.

Tracy Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“Normally, the leader of the party, once that person wins his or her seat, is the Leader of the Opposition in the House.  So with the recall convention, of course there was a move by colleagues to remove the Leader of the Opposition during that whole process.  The Leader of the Opposition in the house, if the leader of the party is unable to do it, normally it’s the deputy leader who takes over. So that would be the honorable Hugo Patt. If the honorable Hugo Patt is unable to do it, then according to the U.D.P. party constitution, it’s the member who has had the longest terms in the house, so that would be me, and so there is a pecking order. The Constitution of Belize, however, says that the Leader of the Opposition is the person that commands the majority of the confidence of the people on the opposition side. So when we had the removal of the Leader of the Opposition it was because three of the five of us signed a petition saying that we no longer had that confidence. But I believe that we ought to follow the constitution of the party and I am hopeful that since both my colleague and I are vying for the leadership of the party that the honorable Hugo Patt will hold the position of Leader of the Opposition in the house until that matter can be settled.”