| It will be interesting to see if Leader of the Opposition Shyne Barrow is invited to, or if he attends the formal reception which will likely be held for Foreign Minister Lin.
Barrow has given the Taiwanese the cold shoulder after he alleged that they helped the PUP in the recent municipal elections.
And who helped Tracy Panton's Alliance for Democracy on Sunday? They spent a few hundred thousand dollars to hold their event - and yesterday Barrow introduced a wild theory: he said it was funded by the PUP! Here's our back and forth on it:
Jules Vasquez
"Are you concerned about losing financiers for the UDP? They had a big crowed over there. And they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars."
Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"You said half a million for half a million for for a thousand people. That that that look bad."
Jules Vasquez
"They raised a lot of money, are you concerned that this splinter group will now be able to claim the financing that you traditionally could have access from UDP sympathetic financiers?"
Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"There aren't very many UDP sympathetic financiers."
Jules Vasquez
"I don't think that money came out of anybody's personal fortune. And they've told me unequivocally it did not come from Lord Ashcroft."
Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Yes. Let me tell you this. What everyone is missing. This only benefits the People's United Party, so I won't call any names, but I know certain PUP donors weh liquid liquid liquid right now."
"So if I am John Briceno, of course, gih they wah lee half a million dollars."
Jules Vasquez
"Wow! Really? You think that?"
Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Of course, of course. It has always been done."
Jules Vasquez
"But not half $1 million."
Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"This is a gift to John Briceno and the People's United Party."
Jules Vasquez
"So the PUP financed..."
Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Look at me, Look at me..."
Jules Vasquez
"You realize that sounds crazy to finance something for half a million."
Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Sir what is a half a million dollars?"
"I'm not saying John Briceno. Let me make it clear. I'm not saying John Briceno himself is doing this."
"The PUP hierarchy, the movers and shakers."
Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"I would do it. I would do it if I were a PUP operative to destabilize my opponent. Of course. Leave them in chaos. Leave them in disorder. Feed on the hunger."
Jules Vasquez
"I don't think the UDP require that much work though."
Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Listen, politics is fluid. A day in politics is a lifetime Brother Vasquez, and these gentlemen and ladies in the People's United Party want to make sure that there's no chance that the UDP could do anything."
Jules Vasquez
"So you aren't concerned about losing financing as a consequence?"
Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"I never had any financing to speak of from any donors. Donors give you when it is municipal or general elections. All of those conventions, all of those village councils, and even for municipals, there were donors that said, straight up, I don't spend for municipals."
"So they may think that I have carried the party with my personal finances and you know that. You know that the Disney deal was millions of US dollars and I have some may say foolishly put it all into the UDP. Not all of it. My, my daughter has her trust and I have, you know, I have a parachute. But the point I'm making is don't pretend as if donors were lining up to give the UDP."
"So don't don't cry for me because I always find my resources. They need to worry about where they're going to find their resources, because the People's United Party donors that have given them, in my view, are not going to finance them for the general elections."
"They'll finance them for destabilization and division."
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