And the Prime Minister also had to make another kind of save for party Chairman, Patrick Faber.
As we reported last night - Faber had threatened to resign after a public difference of opinion with Deputy Leader Gaspar Vega at Sunday's Orange Walk East convention.
Vega's employee David Alamilla was somehow left off the list of approved voters: Vega insisted that Alamilla - as a long-standing, declared UDP - should be allowed to vote, regardless. Faber disagreed.
Their disagreement carried over to Tuesday's cabinet meeting and yesterday - persistent rumors emerged that Faber was fixing to resign. Last night he told the Amandala that he would decline comment on his status as chairman until he'd had a private meeting with the Prime Minister last night.
So what came out of that meeting? That's what we asked the Prime Minister today:….
Jules Vasquez
"Is Patrick Faber still the chairman of the UDP?"
PM Dean Barrow
"As far as I know unless people are keeping things from me."
Jules Vasquez
"It is reported in the Amandala that he had a meeting with you and after that he would decide whether he will continue."
PM Dean Barrow
"He is the chairman of the Party still."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you able to say what was the nature of that meeting or the tone of it?"
PM Dean Barrow
"Well I was a most amicable and cordial meeting, I had an occasion to point out to Honorable Faber what a splendid job he is doing as Minister of Education. In terms of the chairmanship I believe that it is common knowledge that there was some fraying of tempers at the convention on Sunday and the chairman clearly was in the eye of the storm. As chairman he has to lay down the law, he has to make decisions and those decisions will not often please the combatants or at least one of the combatants because he will have to decide in favor of some person that means deciding against the other person, but I really didn't see it as too big a deal. The chairman has made clear to the party that he will demand and command respect in exercising his duties as chairman during the campaign season and I think the party is OK with that and has to be OK with that, this is in fact this authority is attendons upon the office of chairman."
