10 days ago on 7NEWS you heard Leader of the Opposition Dean Barrow tell us that if the UDP loses the municipal elections, he will resign as leader. Barrow and his party clearly expect to win and, the conventional wisdom is that facing an incumbent administration wracked by scandal and beleaguered by fiscal crisis, the UDP should win.
But "should" is not "will" and in politics, particularly in the face of a formidable and unbroken political opponent, there are no guarantees. So what if Barrow does not get his victory? Who would lead? After the resignation of Oscar Ayuso, the UDP has no first deputy, and its second deputy Erwin Contreras doesn't appear interested in even being the number three man, much less number one. So we asked the man many speculate would be forced to take the reins in the event of a Barrow resignation, Manuel Esquivel. First for context, we look back at Barrow's comment from February 7th.
[February 7th, 2006]
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"If you lead a mass party and you fail in as crucial an election as this one is, the proper thing to do is to leave."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you feel a sense of dis-ease when the leader of the UDP says that if the UDP loses this election, and he defined the parameters for that lost, but that if they lose he will step down? Do you feel the dis-ease because all eyes will then turn to you?
Rt. Hon. Manuel Esquivel, Former UDP Leader
"Not at all because the way I interpret it, it looks like we're surely going to win." [Chuckles.]
Jules Vasquez,
So in the event of a defeat you wouldn't be concerned? One must entertain the possibility of a defeat.
Rt. Hon. Manuel Esquivel,
"Well its always possible. It's very very improbable in a free and fair election. What is not a certainty is if it's going to be free and fair. But in a free and fair election I think it's almost a certainty and I think he is reflecting the feeling of the UDPs throughout the country that this is one for us to win."
