| And while the two faces of the UDP are bitterly opposed on all public party matters - they are also publicly infighting inside the house.
For the second House of Representatives Meeting in a row, sparks flew between two members on the same side. Whether or not they're a part of the same party is still up for debate - as you heard at the top of this segment.
But, as he said he would, Barrow removed Panton and Faber from all the House Committees that they sat on. It was a move that - perhaps for the first time - had both the ousted UDP members and the PUP in agreement.
Faber rose to condemn the change, calling it a petty and vindictive move on behalf of the Leader. He explained that, with only five parliamentary members - only four of whom actually show up - it was already difficult managing the committee meetings. But now there are only two opposition members serving on all committees. Faber said it's detrimental to Belize's democracy.
Patrick Faber, Area Rep., Collet
"Firstly I see that some of the vacancies are being filled from our colleague from Toledo East and I want to say my remarks will have nothing to do with the portions of the report having to do with filling the vacancies when it comes to him but Madam Speaker, everything else, all other filling of vacancies in this report, I would have to say, whoever is responsible, that it is an asinine decision."
"But the commitment I will tell you for that one member has not been stellar when it comes to showing up, coming all the way from Corozal to Belmopan for these meetings. And now he's being saddled with four more committees. This, Madam Speaker, is a blow to democracy, this is what is happening today and I will say it plain English that anybody who is responsible for this cannot have the betterment of our country at heart. This, Madam Speaker, I interpret to be a personal, a petty, a very spiteful, a very vindictive move on the part of whoever is responsible for it because there's no other explanation as to why you would try so hard to handicap a process that clearly the entire national replies on in order for us to get good legislation."
But Barrow begs to differ. He said that both Faber and Panton have been absent from many committee meetings and added that it is Faber's own actions that have left the path wide open for Barrow to become Leader.
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Their attendance at the House Committee meetings have been very poor. In fact the member for Collet lives abroad, he spends most of his time in the US getting this elusive degree he's been getting ever since he resigned in disgraced you know he's talking about petty and vidictiveness, he is the reason I am sitting here. I am a first term junior. You, sir, if you were so brilliant and you were such a statesman and so great, you would be sitting here. You had your opportunity and your opportunity has flown away because of your behavior, nothing that anybody else did. And as I said, the record will reflect. Madam Speaker, I have missed maybe a handful of House Committee meetings, I attend almost every House Committee meeting and I cannot say the same for my colleagues so it is not fair to represent to the people of Belize that they have been so studious in discharging their duties."
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