Finnegan Says Time Will Heal All U.D.P. Wounds

While Minister Saldivar denies any ultimatum to the Prime Minister, there are other reports that one of the demands to be made was the removal of Godwin Hulse from the powerful Ministry of Natural Resources. But indications are that it didn’t happen after all. So how bad is the fallout in the wake of Sunday’s convention and how was the announcement of Faber’s pending ascension to Deputy Prime Minister received by his cabinet colleagues? According to Michael Finnegan, an elder statesman within the U.D.P., as well as a staunch supporter of Faber’s candidacy, there is ample time to mend fences ahead of the next general elections.

Michael Finnegan, Area Representative, Mesopotamia

“Mister Faber is the new first deputy leader of the party and the prime minister informed Cabinet this morning that next week Tuesday, Mister Faber’s position will be gazetted as the Deputy Prime Minister of Belize.”

Isani Cayetano

“What was the response or the reaction from the other Cabinet ministers with regards to this particular announcement?”

Michael Finnegan

Michael Finnegan

“There is still time for healing within the party, but Mister Saldivar, as far as I’m concerned, was magnanimous in defeat and there is absolutely no problem as far as I am concerned with Mister Saldivar.”

Isani Cayetano

“Now there are allegations to the effect that this morning, several of the cabinet ministers and area representatives reportedly met with Minister Saldivar prior to the cabinet meeting and as a result they were late in attending the cabinet meeting this morning but showed up with an ultimatum that they were against the appointment of Patrick Faber as Deputy Prime Minister.”

Michael Finnegan

“That is absolutely not true.  That is absolutely not true.  They cannot come with no ultimatum to the prime minister and the prime minister, if you know Dean Barrow properly, he would never entertain that and that is not true.  In the defense of them that is not true.”

Isani Cayetano

“Now you are an avid supporter of Patrick Faber, as well as Manuel Heredia and Elodio Aragon Junior, and it would seem that going into Sunday’s special convention a majority of the area representatives and the caretakers of the respective constituencies were in favor of John Saldivar.  How do you guys now make amends, in terms of what has happened and moving forward as one United Democratic Party?”

Michael Finnegan

“The party will forge ahead.  The party it has got to heal the wounds caused by the campaigning, but I want to believe that the party will make that stride and will succeed in doing that.  So I am not at all bothered about what is happening right now and I am not bothered at all because John Saldivar is the senior person on that slate who contested the position for deputy party leader of the United Democratic Party.  And I had said to you earlier, in my view John Saldivar was magnanimous in defeat and I know John well, John has served this party from he was a young man, also like Faber.  John has served this party dedicatedly all his long years and whatever position he aspires for in the U.D.P., although I do not support his aspiration for the deputy party leader of the party, John is deserving to aspire and unfortunately he was running against Patrick Faber who comes from the bowels of the United Democratic Party as a little boy.  So I had to support Patrick Faber.”