Patrick Faber to be Sworn in as Leader of the Opposition… Again

Patrick Faber

Collet Area Representative Patrick Faber will be sworn in for a second time as Leader of the Opposition on Thursday morning at Belize House.  The collective decision by the United Democratic Party to reinstate the former Minister of Education follows a meeting that was attended by area representatives, standard bearers and caretakers on Tuesday night.  As we’ve reported, the U.D.P. has been in a dizzying tailspin since losing the general elections in November 2020.  The infighting resulted in a recall convention on July eleventh that ended with Faber narrowly holding on to the leadership of the embattled party.  But while he was able to retain that seat, Faber had already been replaced as Leader of the Opposition by Mesopotamia Area Representative Shyne Barrow several weeks earlier.  It all came down to a single vote, one which Albert Area Rep Tracy Panton cast earlier this week, tipping the scale in favor of Patrick Faber.  Since then, a letter has been sent to Governor-General Froyla Tzalam informing her of the change in leadership.  News Five spoke with Panton earlier today and she explained that notwithstanding her support, the decision taken is for the greater good of uniting the deeply fractured party.

On the Phone: Tracy Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“We recently had a recall convention and Patrick’s leadership was reaffirmed at that recall convention and I have always taken the position personally that one person or one group of people, a small group of people is not greater than the whole.  And when we met last night in a meeting of standard bearers and caretakers of the United Democratic Party, the consensus was we needed to, for lack of a better term, stop the hemorrhaging of the party and to more make an effort to secure greater unity within so that we can focus all our attention and efforts on the national issues that require quite a great deal of attention.  When the decision was taken at the time to sign a letter of no-confidence to the Governor-General of the party leader, I did not participate in that process, as you are aware, because I wanted to, at that time, get the views of my colleagues.  Last night the views of my colleagues was clear, I had made a commitment personally that I would carry the consensus and so in light of that I agreed to sign the letter to reinstate the party leader as the Leader of the Opposition.”