How Will Vega’s Departure Affect the U.D.P.?

Gaspar Vega

There’s no doubt that Vega’s departure from the political scene will have a significant effect on the U.D.P.  Vega has generally held the fort in the north – pumping resources and considerable money into all election campaign machineries. Village Council elections will be held soon, and those in the know say that Vega’s heavy arm will not be present to juice up the U.D.P. engine in the north as he once did. Responses to his departure have varied, but as senior U.D.P. politician Michael Finnegan told us on Sunday…what’s done is done and the party will go on without him. 

Michael Finnegan

Michael Finnegan, Area Representative, Mesopotamia

“It will not be the first time that somebody in the U.D.P. will step down. It has happened over and over repeatedly. Elrington gawn…Aikman gawn….the Tilletts gawn…Paul Rodriguez gawn and the U.D.P. is right here kicking and striving. Soh if Mr. Vega leaves, the Party I would believe doesn’t want to see him go, but if Mr. Vega wants to go what else can the party do? All I am saying is that the party will continue to strive, the party will continue to develop and the party will continue to make it. None ah we are so big and mighty that we can move and it will affect the party and will destroy the party.”

Dean Barrow

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“Speaking for myself – look – Gaspar Vega has been not only my colleague and my loyal and faithful number two – he’s been my friend. So I am very saddened by the fact of his departure and apart from the looking at it at that personal level – look at it at the party level. Michael Finnegan is right but without a doubt there is an immediate setback that his departure causes. It does leave a hole in the North in particular. With time that void will be filled. Finnegan is absolute correct…all of us have to go sooner or later but that doesn’t take away from the fact that immediately there is a problem that we will have to work to get through. I have no doubt that we will. So I will simply say that I salute him. I thank him for his fidelity to the party during this entire period and certainly his loyalty to me and I don’t think any little upset that any of us might feel in consequence of his leaving ought to be allowed to take away from the fact that he served long…that he served loyally and he served well.”