Does Cabinet Have Faith in Aspiring U.D.P. Leaders?

Dean Barrow

Minister Omar Figueroa was among a group of cabinet members who made a request to Prime Minister Dean Barrow to postpone his planned retirement and remain as party leader. Now that the PM has agreed to stay on until closer to the next general elections, the move has put a wrench in the leadership ambitions of   Patrick Faber and John Saldivar.  A leadership convention was set for sometime in May of 2019, but that will now be held sometime in 2020. Today, we asked Figueroa if his cabinet colleagues did not have faith in Faber or Saldivar.

Omar Figueroa

Dr. Omar Figueroa, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment

“I don’t think it puts a wrench in anyone’s aspiration. Prime Minister Barrow is in his final term. So at the end of this term, he will step back, he won’t be prime minister again. So if anything it gives John and Patrick more time to do their ground work that they need to do to reach where they aspire to reach. I think Prime Minister Barrow stands out, in my opinion as the best prime minister that this country has had in terms of his capacity to lead, his ability to make decisions, his ability to really move this country in the right direction. And I think as long as his health permits, the position of the group is continue to guide us forward, continue to lead this country until the end of your term.”

Duane Moody

“You feel like the prime minister has been in that position where he is a true leader and he’s made great decisions for our country. So wouldn’t Patrick or John be able to do the same?”

Dr. Omar Figueroa

“Well there can be different schools of thought. I’m sure that they have the ability to lead; they are aspiring to do that. But like I said, a lot of time conventions can be divisive as well and the group was concerned a lot about stability moving forward as well, so we all requested that the PM stayed.”

There is also information that now that the convention has been rescheduled, it will give time for the so-called dark horse to consolidate a base and go on to seek the leadership of the U.D.P.  That person is Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte, who it is believed can very well safely replace PM Barrow in the Queen Square division.