U.D.P. courts former representative

The United Democratic Party today officially announced it has decided to enter into negotiations with former Freetown Area Representative Derek Aikman, regarding his possible re-entry into the party and into electoral politics. A press release from the U.D.P. Secretariat says the leadership of the party will be meeting with Aikman on Thursday afternoon to begin formal talks. At the special sitting of the House of Representatives on March eighteenth, Attorney General Dean Barrow introduced a bill, which was passed at last week’s sitting, to amend the Bankruptcy Act, thereby enabling Aikman to discharge his bankruptcy and again run for a seat in the House. Under Belize’s constitution, an undischarged bankrupt is ineligible to hold a seat in the National Assembly. It is generally believed that Aikman would run in the Fort George division against leader of the opposition, Said Musa. Michael Godoy has already been nominated as the U.D.P. standard bearer in that division, but party officials say that there are standard bearers who would not mind giving up their present positions if it will work to the ultimate benefit of the United Democratic Party.