Email

Print

A political convention - especially an endorsement one - is a part political fantasy - part spectacle - it is a declaration of absolute faith and confidence in a mass party that all its members know is deeply flawed, but in the theatre of the political absurd, all disbelief is suspended, play di music, run di rum, and dance the dance.

It is a show of muscle and mass delusion - but a show, nonetheless, and Disney cameras made sure of that.

For the UDP yesterday - it's the best show they have put on in a while - since their last leadership convention was bitterly contested.

St Lucia's Allen Chastanet worked the crowd like a motivational speaker, while party trustee Michael Finnegan rocked the mic for old time's sake.

In this - finally a crowning moment with no noise or nooses from detractors - Shyne Barrow mustered his deepest conviction to say the PUP is scared of him:

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"And that's why they don't like me because I don't want power for myself. I have done well in life, they call me a has been. The people from Disney, the people from Universal Records don't believe so - they have invested millions of dollars in me because of my talent and my ability. Soh my leadership is not about me, my leadership is about making sure every Belizean has the opportunities has the opportunities that I have been blessed to have in life."

Of course it's a fantasy - not even in a Disney movie do we all get Shyne's happy ending. But, that is the art of political prestidigitation - it taps into the aspirational instinct that we all have - and no one knows it better than the man from the mud, hoping to conduct the greatest political show on earth:

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"This da no no camera work, this da noh bout no Hollywood and entertainment - because I come from the mud - soh when I talk about pain and suffering, I know what Belizeans are going through right now. I come from the kinnel side, yes I come from the garrison, so I know what you are going through - I know what it is to sleep on a cold cement floor. I know what it is to drink water, because you are hungry and you don't have nothing to eat, so you have to drink water from the facet."

From the facet to the fountain of eternal truth? Who knows? One thing we do know is that Barrow was trying not to get high on his own supply on this convention Sunday:

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"This is not a victory to say, oh, yes, I da leader, no, this is us on a journey towards transforming Belize like never before and so I am elated, I am so grateful, so happy that we have put this aside, put this behind us so that we could focus on returning to government."

Jules Vasquez
"But have you really put it aside or is the UDP, or does it continue to be rankled by division? Patrick faber isn't here."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Don't allow me to be in a situation to try to diminish the value of any of my colleagues. But you must stop focusing on one or two people. Its beyond the point of rationale that if you have a super majority, if you have 29 standard bearers, 28, 27 I ask for 26 that are with you, then what more do you want from me?"

Well, certainly, more of a crowd:

Jules Vasquez
"You never reached the 5,000."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"It was a couple thousand. I have to go and look at the footage. Certainly at least 3,000. Thats significant."

Jules Vasquez
"That's not what you promised. PUP won't be frightened."

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Well, I think 3,000 is something to be concerned about in opposition just two and a half years into their government."

"I, I have done my job, I am doing my job and this is why the PUP is frightened, whether tis a couple thousand or the five thousand - they are frightened, because they are not doing their job and my job was to make sure that enough of us are on the same page as a party in order to oust the PUP and we accomplished that today."

Jules Vasquez
"The UDP doesn't have a war chest that anyone knows of, so from what anyone can tell you, investing out of your kind supporters and your own personal fortune, is it worth the expenditure the outcome that you had and will the UDP have enough going forward into a 6-month campaign drive now?"

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"Absolutely. This is a worthy investment and we will have enough resources to fund a victorious municipal run and the general elections. No doubt about it."

But, the artist formerly known as "Shyne Po" made it clear this is not a solo project:

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"This is not me s a solo artist to link to my days as a platinum grammy award winning musician. This is not that. This is about Belize, it really is about Belize brother and and getting to the helm is not about a celebration that oh yes, I shyne Barrow did it. No, we the United Democratic Party did it. We got ourselves together. We are focus, we are determined, we have demonstrated discipline today that we are ready to lead this country."