Power Shift: Bradley Replaces Belisle in Senate

Former Senate President Darrell Bradley is returning to the Upper House as an opposition parliamentarian next Wednesday.  The twice elected former Belize City mayor replaces Khalid Belisle, himself a former head of municipal government, who was just appointed to the senate on June seventh.  Belisle’s abrupt removal appears to be part of an urgent power play being made on the political chessboard by Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow to clear the way for Bradley to re-enter the National Assembly.  The move sets in motion a direct course for an unelected Bradley to enter the leadership race, since parliament is the only vehicle through which he can vie for control of the United Democratic Party.  This morning, Barrow wrote to Governor General Froyla Tzalam informing her of the change of senators.  Incidentally, Bradley was also on Channel Five’s Open Your Eyes this morning, where the question was put to him about his projected path to steer the free-falling U.D.P.

Khalid Belisle

Isani Cayetano

“The Leader of the Opposition is the one who has that call to make, so he is essentially saying, “Well look, if I am Shyne Barrow at this point and I am clamoring for certain change, if I remove Khalid Belisle and replace him with you, if I have that confidence in you as a potential leader, then by virtue of you being in the senate [it] allows you now to be able to run for party leader should there be that opportunity following a successful recall convention.”  That is what I am asking you.”

Darrell Bradley

Darrell Bradley, Senior Member, U.D.P.

“That is correct, you are correct.  Everything that you’ve said is correct.  So that in order, according to the party’s constitution, you have to be a member of the National Assembly.  So right now, I can’t even run for party leader because I’m not a member of the National Assembly and I am not even a delegate, I can’t even vote for myself.  So even if I were to run, I can’t vote for myself which doesn’t make any sense, but that question is not a question now because I am not currently eligible.  And then, secondly, the office not currently vacant.”