Shyne Categorically Stands by Special Committee’s Decision Against John Saldivar

Mike Peyrefitte

Party Leader Shyne Barrow, in the wake of the N.P.C. vote, issued a statement saying, “I categorically support the Special Committee decision to disallow the candidacy of John Saldivar in the best interest of the U.D.P.  The N.P.C. today decided to allow the people in Belmopan to ultimately decide the fate of John Saldivar in a standard bearers convention on February fifth, 2023.  The N.P.C. is the highest decision making body of the U.D.P. after the National Convention, thus as Party Leader, I am bound to yield to the democratic majority of the N.P.C.”. U.D.P. Chairman Mike Peyrefitte chimed on the position taken by the party leader.

Mike Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party

“We’re a democratic party and the leader took a position.  He’s entitled to a position, he’s entitled to his opinion.  But like he made very clear to the National Party Council afterwards, that he took a position but the decision of the NPC is the decision of the NPC and nobody is bigger than the NPC.  And sometimes you take positions and you’re outvoted by the majority, that’s a normal course of action in a party that is democratic.  We don’t see that as any weakening of anything at all.  As a matter of fact, we see it as a strengthening of our processes and the way we do things and democracy is messy at times, it’s not the neatest of things at all, but the NPC had its say and then now the people of Belmopan will have their say.  We can’t imagine a better outcome than that.  Whatever the NPC would have said, Mr. Saldivar made it clear that if the NPC says he can’t run, he can’t run.  If the NPC says he can run, he can run.  Nobody necessarily won or lost on Saturday.  The people of Belmopan will have their say and that’s as much about it as anybody should make of it.”