A Political Mastermind is Remembered by His Understudies
Dean Russel Lindo
Preparations are underway for the funeral services of Dean Russel Lindo, who we are told will be offered a state funeral, due to his prominence in political life beginning in 1964. He is to be eulogized by a close friend and another powerhouse in the United Democratic Party, Michael Finnegan. Lindo passed away on Monday afternoon after ailing for some time. Messages of condolences have been flowing to honour the deceased first leader of the U.D.P., a party which evolved from the National Independence Party. He retired after twice winning and twice losing the Fort George Division against sitting area rep, Said Musa. Lindo served in cabinet as Minister of Natural Resources and was also named ambassador to the United States. After retiring from active politics, he practiced law. Tonight, News Five’s Isani Cayetano looks at the legacy of Dean Lindo.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The profound impact of Dean Lindo on the United Democratic Party, as foremost leader and chief political strategist, is still felt across the organization decades after he rose to prominence in the late sixties. Career politician and fellow U.D.P. stalwart Michael Finnegan came up under Lindo’s tutelage.
Michael Finnegan
Michael Finnegan, U.D.P. Politician
“I give most of my success, if not all my success to Dean Lindo. Everything that I have done in my life I have learned from Dean Lindo. Oh yes, I have improved on what he taught me, but everything was from Dean Russell Lindo. My first campaign was with Colvin Young in 1965. I campaigned for Colvin Young in 1965. He is alive and he is living proof to that. My second campaign was with Dean Lindo in 1969 and brother; I will repeat again, the P.U.P. was not easy to beat. The P.U.P., this entire country was P.U.P. The people in Belize believed in George Price and believed in the P.U.P.”
Despite the overwhelming support for the People’s United Party at the time, Lindo and the fledging political movement to which he belonged held true to his ideals and philosophy.
Dean Lindo, First Party Leader, U.D.P.
“I thought that George Price didn’t strike me as being sincere, whereas Goldson struck me as a sincere man and as I said, he went through a hard time and he was always fighting. He was alone in the National Assembly. He was later election joined by Edwin Murray from Monkey River, but it was, well to me they struck me as being more sincere, more concerned about people and their problems that the people were facing at the time.”
Also owing her knowledge and fervor for politics to Lindo is former Collet U.D.P. Area Representative Faith Babb. She was the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives by the United Democratic Party.
Faith Babb
Faith Babb, Former Collet Area Representative
“I met Mr. Lindo at Ken Tillett’s house. He lived on the same street that we lived on, Richard Street, and he was about at the time to form the PDM, the People’s Democratic Movement and I was interested because at the time you were having UBAD and other organizations that were political, but it wasn’t something that we could join because they were all grown people, right. So being an enable were would have been just okay for me. So because of the relationship with Ken Tillett and Mr. Lindo, they started having meetings at his house, so then I use to go across to the Tilletts and be a part of the meeting and when I found what was taking place I wanted to be involved.”
But being involved, as a member of the up and coming U.D.P., was often challenging. Lindo speaks of the difficulties faced under his political opponents.
Dean Lindo
“George Price, he was a rough customer. In fact, his whole philosophy was, I shall reward my friends and punish the enemy and he lived up to that, believe me. So there was a time when NIP, we had to go out of town, they banned us from having meetings in the city and we had to go out of town by Cemetery out there to have meetings. In fact, they attacked people, the supporters attacked, they actually attacked Ken Tillett, Finnegan and them when they went into the, at the time it was Collet Division. They literally attacked them.”
Finnegan also recalls those days and the fact that there were defectors in the National Independence Party.
Michael Finnegan
“People who were in our party switched from our party and joined the People’s United Party because they wanted to win. Did you know the then Deputy Prime Minister, or the first Deputy Prime Minister Lindy Rogers was a founder of the National Independence Party with Philip Goldson.”
Reporter
“I didn’t know that.”
Michael Finnegan
“Yes, he switched from the National Independence Party to join George Price and the P.U.P.”
Reporter
“Opposite of Goldson who left George Price and the P.U.P. to form NIP.”
Michael Finnegan
“Exactly.”
Lindo, in his own words during his final interview last month, shared how the United Democratic Party was formed.
Dean Lindo
“By this time I wasn’t NIP, I was PDM. Well we decided eventually that it didn’t make sense to be fighting separately. We better join forces because it was divide and conquer so that they could split up the three parties. So then we joined NIP and PDM joined, then eventually the liberals joined us and that was how we formed the U.D.P.”
Babb’s foray into politics is also attributed to Dean Lindo, whom she says taught her and others how to be confident in the political arena
Faith Babb
“He taught us how to be fearless, don’t be afraid once you know that you are doing the right thing and you believe it from within, stand up and put up a fight for what you want. And with that I was able to understand that it will take a lot out of you, you will have to be strong and I never hesitated to attempt to do the things that I knew are right.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
