Shyne Says Former U.D.P. Chairman is Also Before Ethics Committee

Collet Area Representative Patrick Faber’s application to run for a sixth time in that constituency was rejected by the U.D.P.’s Nominations Committee last week. The reasons given were several violations of the party’s constitution, as well as Faber’s continued defiance by posting social media comments that are not favorable to the U.D.P. Today, we asked Party Leader Shyne Barrow to weigh in on the decision taken by the Nomination Committee, in light of Faber’s defiance of the National Party Council.

Shyne Barrow

Shyne Barrow, Party Leader, U.D.P.

“The honorable Faber was not sidelined.  The honorable Faber has defied the directive of the National Party Council which is the highest authority of the party and has not complied with the constitution and thus, finds himself in a position where the Nominations Committee has taken an adverse position because of his failure to comply.  There is no arbitrary decision to sideline honorable Faber.  There is a decision to strengthen the institution of the party moving Faber by ensuring that all party members adhere to the constitution, comply with the directives of the NPC because if we don’t do that, we will have a party that continues to be disjointed, disintegrated and divided.  We need to all bind ourselves to the constitution, to the rules of the party and despite our personal grievances, despite our personal dissent, we need to learn from our forebears who put their differences aside and put together the mass party that is now the U.D.P. because there were many differences and Dean Lindo was the founding leader.  He did not make it… And so, entitlement because of seniority has no place in the rebuilding of the U.D.P. Everyone has to approach this with a love of country first, a love of party first and a humility that will submit to the greater good and the greater good is what is best for the Belizean citizens.”

Isani Cayetano

“How do you respond, however, to other critics within the party who have put forward that as the leader you are a rather difficult person to get along with, in terms of giving advice and taking advice?”

Shyne Barrow

“Well that is an opinion shared by someone who is before the ethics committee right now. I believe Mr. Alberto August said that and, again, a disservice to the party because rather than us talking about national issues of great importance to the Belizean populace, we’re talking about personalities and opinions and no mass party can function when the vice chairman is on national television criticizing the party leader, despite the National Party Council giving a directive that such behavior is denounced.”