U.D.P. kicks Belize City Mayor out of national party council

And from crime to politics, Mayor Zenaida Moya Flowers was charged with criminal offences last Thursday, she retaliated in kind at the man she believes is behind her fall, Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Hemorrhaging from the very public rift, the United Democratic Party went in full gear. Last Saturday, the National Party Council met at its headquarters to discuss the fate of Moya Flowers, not for the unaccounted funds, but for the very public charges she made against the PM. Moya Flowers did not bother to attend her own trial. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Most ministers showed up at Saturday’s caucus, including, Deputy P.M. Gaspar Vega, Former Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington. Sedi’s brother and lawyer for Mayor Moya Flowers, Hubert Elrington, was there, but he was posting flyers on the SUV’s outside the headquarters. That is until he was confronted by die hard U.D.P. supporter, Easy Glen.

The meeting started at ten thirty and less than two hours later, the party decided to expel Mayor Moya Flowers from its national party council which is comprised from delegates from around the country.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“The discussion were moved and carried unanimously. One, the first was for the party to publicly recommit itself to the principles of accountability and transparency. And to make clear that every person in the room supported the position that no one is above those principles and the party must act whenever there is any appearance that any party member violated those principles. The second resolution was in view of the mayor’s statements and conduct as a response to the charges. She had, on the face of it, violated her obligations to the party as an official of the party for which this body, the national party council, did all that it could do, which is to remove her as a member of the national party council. In terms of any other disciplinary measure that might contemplate for example, expulsion. That can only be handled by the ethics and integrity committee of the party. This body voted to refer the matter to the ethics and integrity committee.”

Moya was invited but did not attend the meeting. The main issue wasn’t about the two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars that was under deposited at City Hall. According to the PM, it was about her conduct.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“That was the issue, her conduct. What she had said. In effect she accused me of subverting justice, of procuring the D.P.P. to charge her, which is a very serious allegation to make. So that is the basis on which the party acted. I’m sure the question of disrespect was involved. But I think far more important was the party was concerned that she has made an allegation which in fact impunes my integrity and suggests that I have interfered with the course of justice.”

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

While some of the ministers were tight lipped about speaking out against Moya, all indications were that Elvin Penner, Patrick Faber and John Saldivar were standing firmly in support of Moya’s removal. But it’s not all over for the Mayor yet. The only body that can expel her from the U.D.P. is the Ethics and Integrity Committee, which will now determine the merits of a possible expulsion from the party. For Moya-Flowers, who gave birth twenty-four days ago, nothing has changed and she says she remains a U.D.P.