In the first week of September we told you that San Pedro’s UDP Mayor Elsa Paz was withdrawing her candidacy as Mayor. And indeed, that was what she told party leader Dean Barrow in a letter. Paz told us that there had just been too much internal strife in the UDP’s camp for her to continue.
But in politics, as in life, all that diverges must converge. And after talking it over with area representative Manuel Heredia Junior, Paz had a change of heart. And so on Wednesday night, she was endorsed as Mayor along with the same slate of 7 councillors who were elected in 2006.
In other “resign-rewind” news, Juliet Thimbriel is staying on as a UDP Senator. On August 27th after a stormy on-air back and forth with Mayor Zenaida Moya, Thimbriel was suspended from on-air duties. In response, she announced her resignation as Senator on Wave Radio’s midday news. But she never submitted that resignation to the Governor General - meaning that it was never formal, and thus reversing her position required only a change of heart.
In other political developments in the UDP, Laura Esquivel who had indicated that she would have to think twice about running on a Zenaida Moya slate today confirmed to us that she has made the decision that she will run. We understand the same goes for Leila Peyrefitte.
And while they have cross the convention waterloo, there are still rivers to cross for the UDP. Next month in Dangriga, there are four prospective Mayors vying to head the UDP slate. Also in that town, 13 councillors are vying for the 7 spots on the UDP slate. There will be 2 persons offering themselves to run as UDP Mayor in Punta Gorda and the same goes for Orange Walk. In San Ignacio, the UDP Mayor will be endorsed, but there are 17 persons offering themselves as councillors.
