When the PUP held its national convention in February of 2005 in the middle of a season of unrest and national disquiet, it would be a proving ground for Belize's grand old party, and the questions were: did the PUP still have the political juice to pull a crowd and the craft to avoid a political bloodbath through guided democracy? Well the event did draw a huge crowd, and it was politically bloodless, but followed by months of heightened unrest, whatever gains the party made at the convention were rolled back in the politically taxing months thereafter.
To some, the UDP's event on Sunday posed similar defining questions: is the Opposition as good as a government in waiting and can its open convention system work without causing division and infighting behind closed doors? We went to Cayo on convention day to answer those questions.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
For the UDP all roads led to Macal Park in San Ignacio Town on Sunday. And those roads were draped with a dense array of signs and banners promoting the contestants for the party's first deputy. The dense signage, even on lamp-posts, ended at Macal Park where hundreds of buses, and thousands of people, all congregated under the unrelenting San Ignacio sun for a the first open air national convention we've seen.
The Macal Park had a carnival atmosphere, with dozens of tents, some for political camp headquarters, some for food, and every level age and ethnicity of party supporter, mixed in with those just there for a day's outing, and hardcore political junkies. A massive turnout to be sure, but the chairman said it could have been better.
Jules Vasquez,
Do you view this as a sufficiently vigorous turnout for a national convention?
Dough Singh, UDP Chairman
"I believe so, I believe so. The party did not spend the kind of money
for a convention that it typically does. We just came out of an election where we had to put all our resources in so there wasn't all that and conventions are a very expensive process. So the turnout for me is extraordinary, simply because we didn't put that kind of resources behind it."
Under the main tent, sitting in thick and heavy heat were diplomats, invited guests party loyalists, listening to presentations by UDP personalities new, recent, old, and born again. Indeed, it seemed like organized chaos: thousands of people all of different missions and political ambitions under the tent, in the park, on the street, in the river. But for all the thousands that were there on their many missions, only 547 really mattered, they were the ones to vote for the party contested executive posts.
Ruben Campos,
"The candidates for the post of first deputy leader are Marcel Cardona, Carlos Perdomo, and Gaspar Vega. For the post of Chairman John Saldivar and Douglas Singh."
And while that was being announced Secretary General Phillipa Bailey was preparing the ballot boxes and the polling area, a small raised structure in the middle of the park. And while she was preparing the voting area, deputy leader aspirant Cardona was preparing to drop a bomb.
Marcel Cardona, Withdrew from Race
[To Convention Official] "I will not be contesting the post of First Deputy Leader. I will be fully endorsing his candidacy as first deputy leader and I am calling upon all of my supporters to do the same, to support Mr. Carlos Perdomo in this election."
[To 7NEWS] "After a thorough analysis of the current situation in terms of the number of delegates, etc. that we have on our side and the ones that
each of the other candidates had and as well as an analysis of the characters that were contesting for the post, I have decided Jules to officially withdraw my candidacy for the post of first deputy and throw my support behind Mr. Carlos Perdomo because I believe that Carlos is a good man, is an experienced man, and is someone who shares many of my views."
Jules Vasquez,
You see how this could be interpreted though as a ploy, that your candidacy was a ploy in order to secure some votes that maybe Mr. Perdomo couldn't get and then you throw it behind him at the last minute to undermine Mr. Vega.
Marcel Cardona,
"Jules a ploy? Look here. This was not an easy decision. It was very difficult. These are my backbones. They came out, they have been rallying behind me all along. I have been campaigning for several months Jules. I have been arriving home at 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock in the morning but a decision had to be made. If I have to sacrifice myself, my political career, for that I will do it."
And while the cost to Cardona for this maneuver will be determined in time on this day the business of his withdrawal and transfer of support meant his name had to be scratched from the 575 ballots. And in a park running over with thousands, how did they know who was eligible to vote? Well, all the delegates were given this a name tag like this one from Corozal Bay and then their names checked at this desk, their fingers inked then sent to vote. It was done one or sometimes two divisions at a time, a process that took two hours.
The lines were long, the sun hot, the process lengthy and the in line campaigning and jostling for support was fierce, particularly for first deputy where Gabriel Martinez and Cardona threw their support behind Perdomo at the last minute. Vega didn't seem moved, though.
Gaspar Vega, Candidate for UDP 1st Deputy Leader
"First of all I believe that the most important thing that we are exercising today is the democracy that people are expecting from either party or as many parties as we have. This, as you can see, is a party of democracy, of love. Everybody respects, everybody campaigns, with due to respect to each other."
Jules Vasquez,
Well you say due respect to each other but there have been some nasty fliers about you, some quite scurrilous attacks. Whenever there is a contest that's
fierce, there will be resentment and enmity. Is the party able to reemerge from this unscathed? Are you able to hug up Mr. Perdomo after this, hug up Marcel from Orange Walk, and say, 'be united?'
Gaspar Vega,
"Jules I have been hugging Mr. Perdomo and Marcel even during the election today so I don't think later on will be any worse, it should be better."
Carlos Perdomo, Candidate for First 1st Deputy Leader
"Yesterday Mr. Vega and I had a warm conversation, a big hug, and we said that whoever wins, we will support the one that wins 100%."
Jules Vasquez,
Throughout the run-up to this campaign its been widely said that Gaspar Vega and Douglas Singh have the support of the party leader. Do you feel that your chances were affected because the party leader played favorites?
Carlos Perdomo,
"I don't think the party leader played favorite but its always important for a party leader to remain neutral."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you believe the party leader maintained his ground as he should have and remained neutral?
Carlos Perdomo,
"He promised me and I think that so far he has kept his word."
But one candidate who says he was the party leader's favorite is Chairman Doug Singh.
Jules Vasquez,
It is said that the party leader played favorites. It is said that in fact his favorites were yourself and Mr. Vega.
Doug Singh,
"I don't believe my party leader was campaigning actively for the deputy leader. I know he made it public who he was going to support personally. I know he campaigned openly for myself and I think its testament to the fact that we've had a very good working relationship."
Jules Vasquez,
It has been said, very widely reported as well, that in fact the party leader prefers Douglas Singh, and Douglas Singh told me that Dean worked on his behalf, that the party leader worked on his behalf. Was he playing favorites and will you hold a grudge because of this, regardless of the outcome?
John Saldivar, Candidate for Chairman
"Oh no certainly not and the party leader is entitled to support who
he wants to support and I don't have a problem with the underdog role. I have always had the underdog role and I fight harder when I know that I have the odds against me."
Jules Vasquez,
So if you win you would be perhaps not the establishment choice but are you prepared to support the leadership of the party, were you to win?
John Saldivar,
"My support for Dean Barrow is unquestionable; 100% behind him and I am sure that after the results here today, should I emerge as the victor, that he is also going to accept to work along with me on his team."
And while Saldivar is a team player, the scars from a battle such as this can be deep and long lasting but this party says it's a necessary evil.
Carlos Perdomo,
"This is the UDP way. If we did it any different, you might get into trouble so this our way, this is very important."
Doug Singh,
"This process is important. Democracy, 'democratic' is the middle name of the party and this is our way of exercising it."
Jules Vasquez,
Is the party able to emerge from this unified or will there be this sort of residual enmity and fractionalization?
Doug Singh,
"I don't there will be. Commitments were made by individuals, of course people are subject to changing their minds, but serious commitments were made and I think everybody sees that victory is at hand and any kind of disruption of the process, after democracy has worked, I think will only make you a sour loser."
Frank "Pawpa" Mena, Candidate for Deputy Chairman
"Democracy is sweet and I will also support that. And you and I have a right to choose where we want to go and it will be very immature for anybody to hold that malice."
Democracy may be sweet but the bitter after taste will surely sour the mouths of some aspirants and their supporters, but we couldn't find one of the candidates to say that on this day.
Jules Vasquez,
Are you prepared to support Mr. Vega?
Marcel Cardona,
"Ultimately whatever is the decision of the delegates today will have to be respected by everyone, including myself."
Jules Vasquez,
Any internal campaigning which attends a convention like this leaves divisiveness, enmity, residual resentment.
John Saldivar,
"None of that exists certainly on my part."
Jules Vasquez,
So you are prepared to hug Doug Singh after this?
John Saldivar,
"Yes at the end of the day I will him on my executive."
Frank "Pawpa" Mena,
"People vote and now we have these people represented. That has to be respected. The people's choice; power to the people."
And on this day - when the UDP brought everyone under the tent to dance once more to their de facto theme song, the "d" in democracy never seemed so bold. The only question is can the party live with the success of its own process?
For the party, the success of the open convention process was cemented today at a press conference where the winners were declared and appeared together. We'll have highlights of that later on.
