Shyne Barrow delivered his letter to the Governor General's office in Belmopan today. As we told you, the letter is signed by three of the UDP's five members of the House, and it says that they no longer have confidence in Patrick Faber as leader of the opposition. Denise Barrow, Hugo Patt an Shyne Barrow all signed saying the support Shyne for parliamentary leader.
Now, that should make him leader of the opposition in the parliament dealing with appears to be a death blow to Patrick Faber's leadership.
For his part Faber made a simple Facebook post last night saying "AMAZING" - which sort of mocks the goings-on.
But, Shyne has entered an interesting moment in history and this evening we sat with him at his office to ask him about it:
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"This is not about me. This is not about Shyne being the leader of the opposition. This is about the institution of the UDP and a collective decision by the rank and file and very powerful executives in the party to decide that this is the best course of action to stop the bleeding, to stop the hemorrhaging, a custodian of circumstances is how I've termed it. Honestly, I am not going to put my name up in the next convention, so this is not a means to an end for me. This is all about the institution."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"How do you answer the criticism that it is in fact your artful scheming and manipulation of events that have brought us to this, because it's you who pressed the eject button Tracey Panton, by terms of seniority, since Hugo Patt doesn't want it - she, if there is to be a change in the leader of the opposition in parliament, it should be her. But you exposed her, you exposed private communications and in so doing, derailed any chances for her to get support of a majority of the members in the house. So you have positioned yourself that it can only be you. So how do you respond to that?"
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"I didn't do that. That was her doing. That was certainly not my doing. And again, it's not me acting in a vacuum. There is a majority of us as you see with the 300 delegates that signed the petition."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"290."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"10 short. There is a majority of us that have these conversations and considerations and again, none less than the deputy leader of the party that whose signature was key in evoking the constitution to remove the leader. So it is not Shyne Barrow that has orchestrated some grand coup. This is a result of self-destruction of the Hon. Patrick Faber. He has imploded, not the UDP. I believe he has imploded and all we are doing is making sure that we move forward from that implosion. He had 18 years to prepare for his moment in time and I believe that the mis-steps such as not reconciling with the rest of the party."
"So there was 8 months for him to try to put everyone on the same page. Now, everyone is not on the same page, everyone is divided. Then this video comes out and everyone agrees that the video is disturbing and shocking, even his supporters. Now, how do we respond to the video? There was a suggestion by a very high person in the executive of the party that he takes a leave of absence, seek help, accept that you have a problem and seek help. He refused outright, no deliberation - that is not even up for consideration. That type of response was as shocking as the video, because we all see that there is a pattern of behavior here."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But in the public mind you do not have the moral authority to say Patrick Faber should go and I should lead, because in the public mind, you all are exchanging one wife beater for another. That's in the public mind. Perception is reality in politics. I understand the circumstances of your particular as you are explaining, but that's what the public sees. How do you respond to that?"
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"Well, the response is as I have discussed, you cannot couple everyone in a basket."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But its perception, Shyne. I understand each situation has its own circumstances. In the public mind you have laid your hands or your foot - they said they believe that you've kicked your wife."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"Again, that is what some people may say."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Its your wife that said that."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"But she withdrew that statement. So, then this is what I'm saying, so if that is the position that you are taking, it was the same woman in the video with Patrick Faber who accused him of kicking her and punching her and another woman, right? Listen, that woman never came out and retracted her statement via a statement saying you know it didn't happened like that and it was exaggerated. That woman never came out."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But how is it that will help you, you are the leader now. If you say he has to go because of that. Its no sense examining his record."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"It's examining the facts of the matter. You're talking about 1 incident that was withdrawn and retracted until equivocally - that my wife put out a video endorsing me. His baby mother never said anything about the matter publicly and my situation is one situation. What the public is saying..."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Your situation is a situation. One is enough, sir."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"One accusation. Absolutely no proof."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"The proof is a statement."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"That was withdrawn."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"These things are always withdrawn."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"And that is why instead of trying to come down on me, what you need to focus on is the fact that we have a repeat of the behavior."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
'One is enough. Sir, I'm fine with you, but you're saying the man has to go because of this, then how can you be in this position if you have the same problem?"
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"I described several reasons why he needed to go: I gave you the fact of the division in the party, the fact that he cannot unite the party, I gave you the fact that there was a proposal made for him to take a leave of absence and he refused, so those sound like attempts to resolve the matter in an instance that didn't result in him just being ousted. So he was given the benefit of seeking treatment and trying to cure his ailment, right. Now, I'll tell you what my father-in-law said: he said if I wasn't the first one to condemned the actions of the Hon. Patrick Faber, then that means that I condone what he is doing. So don't try to turn this into oh kettle cursing pot, because I myself found myself on the end of an accusation that means I think it's okay or I should dismiss it or I should hide it under the rug. No."
So while Shyne has his own baggage in terms of domestic issues - he is also a political newcomer - who has not earned his bones, so to speak - and now to see him thrust into a the most senior seat in parliament - after winning his first election only 7 months ago is nothing short of stunning. We asked him about that:
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"It is almost somewhat, I don't want to be unkind, but it's almost farcical for a first term representative without any real bonafide in politics. You are the son of the former leader and the nephew of the former whip, right."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"You know Jules what you are doing is what you are very skilled at doing, you are writing this mellow drama, you are Martin Scorsese."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"These are valid criticisms."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"As a journalist you are very skilled at editorializing news based on your sensational slant of the facts."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"These are the facts. They are right over your head, sir."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
'Sir, I did not wake up in the morning and say I want to be the leader of the opposition."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"I think you did."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"Absolutely not. You are not being fair to the facts. This is not about me, as we started the interview. It's not about me being the leader of the opposition. That doesn't give me thrills and excitement as far as the title. It is about the moment in history, I answered the call, we have sent the message as how we would handle things moving forward and I hope that this will raise the level of conduct, of standard, of expectations from the public and that is my objective."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"So, who will lead the UDP as a political party?"
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"As it stands, um..."
And while Shyne says he's about preserving the party - he has publicly said that someday he has aspirations of leading the UDP - so, why not now? Technically, he's already halfway there, but he says he wants to pass it on to better candidates:
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Who are the options?"
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"Well someone that you have very strong views about, Darrel Bradley is a name that always comes up and as I said Michael Peyrefitte is more than qualified to be the leader and he would be the immediate interim leader according to the constitution."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"So now it's a cute situation because both of those person are not elected, they are selected to be members of the senate and who selects them?"
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"The leader of the opposition."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"The leader of the opposition and so if they lose that selection, cause the leader of the opposition can change them with just one letter to the governor general."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"Again, I am different. I am not serving myself. I have no obsession with being the leader of the UDP."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Supposed someone says Shyne you are an ex-con, you cannot be the leader of a mass party with hopes of being the prime minister of this country. You can't, because you have been convicted and served time for a major felony in the United States."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"I've paid my debt to society and in the United States after 10 years you can run to be the president of the United States."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But you can't travel, Shyne. You got deported, you can't travel."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"You can travel. I am going to the United States to the 50th anniversary of the congressional black caucus. I will be going. That was done before I became the leader of the opposition."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"So, you have cleared up your visa situation?"
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"Yes. So again, I believe this constant attempt to belittle me and to try to discriminate against me for something that happened 19 years ago is futile, narrow minded, short sighted - that is not the society that we claim to be. We claim to be a society that wants to raise our southside boy up and lift them up and allow them to be successful. What greater example of transforming your life."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You've stated you have the ambition to be leader."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"I am prepared to lead my country. I am prepared to lead my party, but I am also committed to doing what is best for the institution and as it stands, I believe there are at least 2 people who are better suited to lead the party."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Who cannot win a seat. One couldn't win a convention, the next one couldn't win a seat. You are the only one who can win, sir. Clearly, this is a handset play to eventually made you..."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"Who sets the play. It's not me who made the men can't win their seat."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Sir."
Indeed, those two are not elected - and, theoretically, one of them could parlay his way into what is considered the UDP's safest seat - which is Queen's Square if the current rep Denise Barrow would step aside and force a bye election. But, while that is rumoured as possibility - it's most likely wishful thinking at this time. The UDP internal situation remains fluid, and the party is set to have an internal meeting later this week, we are told. We'll keep following it.
