7 News Belize

While His Party in Turmoil, Why Did Shyne Visit Jamaica?
posted (August 20, 2024)
And while the Alliance for Democracy is thinking of recalling its leader, Shyne Barrow has his own plans for that faction.

It came up today when we asked him about his trip to Jamaica, where he met various political figures. Here's how that back and forth went:

Jules Vasquez
"You've been criticized that you're traveling, you're glad -handing, as it's called."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Glad -handing?"

Jules Vasquez
"Yes."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"How so?"

Jules Vasquez
"Well, you're meeting-up with everybody who is willing to meet you, and you are making..."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"When you say willing to meet me, you make it seem as if there's some desperate attempt to have meetings and I don't have relationships with these people."

Jules Vasquez
"Well, it looks, sir. It looks a little..."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"I can show you the invitation that Mark Golding gave me last year to speak at the PNP annual general meeting. But I believe that collaboration is very, very important."

"I believe that getting the benefit of the intellectual capital of people like Prime Minister Holness, who is serving his second term and going for a third, I believe people like Mark Golding, who have been in parliament for quite some time, and people like Lisa Hanna, a four -term area representative, I believe you can't go wrong having those meetings."

"But certainly my meeting with the Prime Minister was planned. It was just a matter of finding the right time."

Jules Vasquez
"However, the criticism has been made that while you are touring, your party in Belize is divided and in a chaotic state, so you are fiddling while Rome is burning, to use an analogy."

"How do you respond to that?"

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"I think that's absolutely ridiculous. I think there are certain people trying to set the party on fire and what that was distinguished and they continue to burn fires in other places, but it is inconsequential, insignificant to our bigger picture."

Jules Vasquez
"The people who you call fire starters or characterizes, it's not an insignificant group of people."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"All of a sudden, all of a sudden, you're the one, you're the one...."

Jules Vasquez
"Well, in the UDP's vast scheme of nothingness, these are big people."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Brother, protest on Friday. And we will protest every week until something is done."

Jules Vasquez
"But, hold on, I have to keep you on this issue of the division within your party."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"The issue is insignificant. I didn't come here to talk about that. Part of their plan..."

Jules Vasquez
"But you don't get to dictate their terms. I'm saying that this is out there in the public limelight. Tracy is on every morning show."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"And that is illegal and unconstitutional in our party. And we will deal with it."

Jules Vasquez
"But she says that you are the biggest..., you and the chairman, really. You all are the ones offending the constitution. Yes, but the chairman is offending the constitution by making discretionary calls when the constitution is clear, you have X number, it triggers."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Yeah. Well, I explain this to you again, and I don't want to be impolite, so we could wrap up with this. I told you the last time that you asked me, when the National Convention met August 13th, 2023, they voted unanimously that I would lead the party until after the next general."

Jules Vasquez
"People change their minds."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"No, it doesn't work like that."

Jules Vasquez
"You can't change your mind in the UDP?"

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Not according to the Constitution. The Constitution does not allow for it. That's why you go to a national convention."

Jules Vasquez
"So usurpes freedom of choice."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"It's not a matter of freedom of choice, if every time you have an election and then people change their mind, you at least have to, I haven't even served the two terms, the normal two terms."

"You can't come in the middle of two terms. Sorry, you can't come in the middle of the normal two year term and change, much less when we made a deliberate decision to protect against this type of insurrection."

Jules Vasquez
"But what happens next for the UDP? These people have indicated they may go to court. The Alliance for Democracy."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"There is no alliance. I want to be very clear."

Jules Vasquez
"There is an alliance, sir."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Sir, according to our Constitution..."

Jules Vasquez
"John Saldivar, Patrick Faber, Tracy Panton."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"According to our Constitution, factionalism and division is prohibited."

Jules Vasquez
"So will you kick them out at the party?"

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"The party will deal with the matter internally. As a matter of fact, it's on the agenda right now."

Jules Vasquez
"Agenda for?"

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"To deal with the matter."

Jules Vasquez
"Yeah, but they say agenda for a national executive meeting."

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"We are dealing with the matter as we speak."

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize