And while making up may be easy to do for a party that thrives on quarreling - the sage of the party's headquarters is, in itself, a micro-study in UDP culture. Jules Vasquez took a closer look - as the transition was punctuated by WAVE Morning show host Alfonso Noble's volcanic attack on his former leader, and today, his sheepish retreat:
What's in a building? Well, when it is a party headquarters - a whole lot symbolically and operationally.
And that's why the emotions were so high when Tracy Panton's faction took it over on October 28th.
It was brother versus brother in the stairwell, and in the secretariat it was this reporter versus the Second Deputy Leader as she tried to stop us from interviewing the last Shyne holdover still in the building, Ian Jones.
The headquarters, just a building like true love, when you don't have it, it's nothing - but once you do, it is everything:
Tracy Panton
"And the institution is not a building. The institution is the people who have gathered here in the thousands."
Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman
"An edifice made of cement and sand and gravel. I'll give you one better than that. I don't even have an office there because that's just a building, sir. My office is in the hearts and minds of the Belizean people."
Hearts and minds, but also now, once again, in the sand and mortar edifice on Youth For The Future Drive and its instrumentalities.
It's the platform that represents the institutional base of the party's power, and also houses its radio and TV station. And when it was occupied by the Panton faction, Shyne Barrow felt the power of that institution like a kick to the gut:
Alfonso Noble, Wave Radio Host
"He is unfit, he is a megalomaniac individual. He's an egotistic individual. He believes he is king.
"You see when people are cursing you out, you are due that and you are due that 10 times over. You are a sick, sick, sick individual."
And now that SAME individual is back in charge which is why there were new hosts on that morning show this morning and why Noble - in perhaps his swan song - for the time being - at least - resigned. Himself to his fate:
Alfonso Noble, Wave Radio Host
"I've just been notified that I've been put on pause from doing the morning show but I thought it necessary to advise our viewership that you guys will be on this morning and I'll take a side step until matters are fully resolved."
"It has been a very very excellent time for me working at Wave Radio. It's really really good. I've done what I can to forward the position of the party as much as I can and I guess a decision will be made as to my status and make my graceful exit at this point in time. So, Miss. Nelma and Dean, carry forward."
With Shyne Barrow's executive back in control of the headquarters and the media organs of the UDP, and Panton's side having to wait months before having any hope of taking it back, his hold on the institution of the UDP is secure, but it puts his party not a single step closer to electability - a tactical victory in a meaningless war of attrition.
| 