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Will Shyne Step Aside And Allow Tracy To Take Over?
Tue, October 22, 2024
Will Shyne Barrow step aside and let Tracy Panton and her Alliance for Democracy take over the reigns of the UDP? That's been the burning question since Sunday when Panton and her supporters put on an impressive show at the civic. They brought out supporters in credible numbers and delegates in what seemed to be undeniable numbers.

That's unless you're Shyne Barrow - who denied every single scenario Jules Vasquez put to him today in a 70 minute interview. He betrayed no sign of surrender, nor did he flinch in the Line of fire. Here's part one of the interview:

Jules Vasquez
"It's been a rough few days. How do you feel?"

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"I am very grateful. And I am very optimistic as to the way forward. What we witnessed on Sunday was an Alliance for Democracy party event that did include UDP supporters. I will accept that."

"But when I say grateful and optimistic, I'll tell you why. I always maintained to you that I had 18 to 19 standard bearers. None of those standard bearers went to the event. Maybe 1 or 2 of their delegates went, but I believe it says a lot that none of them attended."

"The lies that have been told about me, the narratives that have been spun about me if that was the way people felt that would have been the day that you would have seen at least half of the 18, go, but not one of them, then you go to people like Mayor Trapp, who not only did not go, but said that he did not believe in what they were doing and that he did not find it to be legit."

"And so many others. Delroy. Alberto August. Listen, if they would have, if Alberto August would have appeared on that stage, then we would be having a different conversation."

"But to feel anyway, as you have described it, that it should be something to penetrate me. These are all the haters, all the Shyne….Audrey Wallace was there in 2022 supporting Tracy. How is that a shocker? Steve Duncan the entire cabinet was there supporting Tracy Boots Martinez, all of them."

"So how am I to be bothered by a group of people that were never shown support? Doug Singh? Dog Singh. You know, I believe he wants to to vomit every time he thinks about Shyne Burrow and me being the leader. That is how much he disgusts me."

"But I am doing the UDP and the country a favor by parting ways with some of these people. Boots Martinez, accused of rampant corruption. The gentleman, Mr. Castro. Saldivar. Erwin. Contreras. Right? Imagine, a woman championing women, but then has the hammer man next to her Patrick Faber, whose history of violence against women is more than any of us. So I'm just trying to understand, how could I be bothered by a group of people that will hate Shyne Barrow no matter what?"

Jules Vasquez
"What I saw at that convention was, I saw people I know to be lifelong UDP, core of the party, but people who who represent them. I've seen them at so many conventions over the years. Forget the personalities at the top that you have universally maligned. But those core supporters we saw there, they were say that we don't believe Shyne Barrow can lead our party. These are not people who you can't just discredit and ignore. Seeing that, have you even reflected and said, you know what? Maybe they're right. There's so many of them there, hundreds of core supporters. I just might..."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Brother Vasquez. We have thousands of supporters. Last year I brought out, along with my colleagues, thousands of core supporters. So are you going to tell me that I've ever given you the impression that I am the most popular, and I am 100% liked?"

"But just as there are 100 or hundreds of core, supporters that were there, there are hundreds of core supporters, thousands of core supporters that continue to support the party under my leadership."

Jules Vasquez
"To be clear, you feel that those people who were assembled there in the hundreds."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Yes."

Jules Vasquez
"Hardcore supporters of the UDP, you feel that it is not a consequential enough figure or a large enough figure for you to say. I concede I will walk away,"

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Absolutely not, because there are hundreds and thousands that support me! That is democracy, brother Vasquez, to pretend as if because people are disappointed or people are unhappy with you, that that will be the end of the story is not fair. As I said, if all of my supporters, if my supporters would have gone, then that would have caused me to consider."

Jules Vasquez
"The report is 12 delegates from your own constituency."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"You saw them?"

Jules Vasquez
"I saw, I can count, I saw at least five that I know that I know who are delegates, I'm told 8 were there who were not on the alternate list, eight of your own delegates went."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"So you saw you saw, five. At least three of those are no longer delegates. Yellowman no longer delegate. He claims he didn't vote. But again, what you have..."

Jules Vasquez
"But even if you have one of your delegates going. it's not a good look for you, sir. If You can't hold your own delegate pool, it's only 16 people, 15."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"I don't know who you saw, so I can't tell you. I can't tell you whether they are currently delegates."

Jules Vasquez
"Queen Square. All 16 of the delegates went. That was emphatic. That's a division that the Barrows have controlled for 40 years."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Yes."

Jules Vasquez
"Those people want nothing to do with Shyne Barrow."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"And that is a reflection of Godwin Haylock. Let me tell you this. Many of those delegates are new delegates. Those are not the delegates, all of them, that were there during the Dean Barrow, Sister B era."

"So those are his delegates. He is the standard bearer for Queen Square, and that is how he feels about me. And so you would expect that the people would have like mind. So don't pretend…"

Jules Vasquez
"Soh now, we have another person who totally rejects your leadership. But he's not Patrick Faber or he's not John Saldivar."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Godwin Haylock!? He and Sister B are close, but he's anti Dean Barrow. He's no fan of Dean Barrow. These are not Dean Barrow's delegates. This is a new era."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, that community is synonymous with the name Barrow. For 40 years."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter."

Jules Vasquez
"But something must be wrong if they can flip on that name. Anybody, in Queen Square that is the UDP's strongest seat."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Yes, my brother. But it is. It contradicts what you want. As far as the type of democracy we should have. So, yes, you would think that Godwin Haylock, would have some allegiance to the Barrows. That is fair. But that reflects more on him, than it does on me."

Jules Vasquez
"Let's count the number of of the delegates who were there. They claim 347 of the 530 delegates, which is about, 70, 75%. What do you..."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"How do you verify that? And this is the problem, brother Vasquez. Who verified that those were in fact the delegates? And according to the constitution of the United Democratic Party, who is supposed to verify that? The Secretary-General. Who is supposed to go over that with the Secretary-General? The party chairman. Who is supposed to then go over what the party chairman and the Secretary-General did, the National Party Council. This is a process to protect the integrity of the elections."

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