As we've been reporting, Shyne Barrow has gone from first term area representative to parliamentary leader of the opposition, pending, of course, confirmation from the Governor General's office.
If we were to analyse his ascent objectively - we would say it has been meteoric. But, that is just the outline; when you start to sketch in the details, Shyne Barrow's big move raises more questions and provides few answers.
Jules Vasquez put a lot of those questions to him last night in a testy back and forth. Here's part two of our interview where we asked him about the two persons who he said could lead the UDP party: Darrell Bradley and Michael Peyrefitte. As we've pointed out - both of them would have to come in to the National Assembly through the senate - since the leader of the UDP must have a seat in Parliament. But, that puts the Leader of the Opposition in an interesting controlling position - and we asked Shyne about it:
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"If Bradley is brought in through the senate or if Michael Peyrefitte is elected leader, do you agree that their hold on power as the leader of the UDP party would be a very fragile one, because they serve at the whim of the leader of the opposition who is you. If they tick you off and you are a man known to get ticked off."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"How do you know these things?"
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Shyne, everyone knows you are mercurous fellow."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"And what about you?" (laughing)
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"I am not trying to lead the opposition. I'm saying supposed you get head-tech one day and you know what Mike Peyrefitte or you know what Mr. Bradley - you ticked me off - you know what I am going to write the GG a letter, I no longer want so and so as a senator."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"I would never do such a thing. You pretend as if there is not a precedence for what is happening and you know very well because you have given me historic political lessons and you gave me the play by play, so this was done before and Curl Thompson stayed committed to the mission and the mission was the institution."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Curl Thompson was the ultimate team player."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"I have proven to be a team player."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You have not. You are only elected to office for 8 months."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"What are you talking about? You know there is an underestimation of my participation in party events. When I was supporting Saldivar, he won. When I was supporting Patrick Faber, he won."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Correlation is not..."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"But you know it is. You know that I was the most vigorous, the most relentless warrior in whatever team that I play."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But then you play with any team. That's the point. You switch team 3 times a season."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"My team is the institution, so I will do whatever is best. Let me be emphatically clear, I will do at all times whatever is best for the institution."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"I say this not in a disparaging way, but what you have proven, your political track record is that you are a very skillful, but an attack dog."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"I am not attacking right now."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You are not attacking right now because your attack succeeded. Your attack against Tracey was fatal and she gone to one side."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"So you blame that on me. She has no culpability."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"I said you are very skillful."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"You give me too much credit."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But I'm saying you attack Faber, then you attack Saldivar."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"All of this for a neophyte. All of this for a new parliamentarian. How do you give me compliments and then try to discredit my ability."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"I am not sure by me saying you being an attack dog is a compliment, it just means that you are aggressive and a loose cannon."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"You said that I was skillful in attacking and dismantling Tracey and Faber. Again, how can I be a neophyte? How can I be a new jack and be able to have such a masterful ability of politics."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You have some of the best coaches in political history, the 2 greatest scientist of the UDPs history, Dean Barrow to the left, Michael Finnegan to the right."
We also challenged Shyne on how he rose to a position of supremacy so quickly. He is poised to become leader of the opposition - but did he do it through machinations? Here's that back and forth:
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Regardless of what you may have done with this letter to the Governor General, the 3 of you all, the fact is that it will be a very divided house, because Patrick Faber, I cannot imagine him standing there while you are his leader in the parliament. Tracey Panton, will all that has passed between you all in the past week, I cant imagine her doing so either and we know that Sister B is not involved in the day to day affairs of the house and we know that Hugo Patt speaks only on occasions. So its like we gone back to Phillip Goldson days, a one man opposition."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"I don't think that will be the case. I think all members of the house will do their best to represent."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You cannot think Patrick Faber will represent with you as the leader of the opposition."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"Then he would be selfish and thinking about himself and not the interest of the institution."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Sir, you have served up this man on a platter, sliced and diced."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"Me? Not the collective? just me?"
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Sir, it is your play. You orchestrated it sir."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"For a neophyte you give me so much compliments, but I never know how to take your compliments."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Are you willing to guarantee that in 3 years when the UDP has faces its next municipal election, that Shyne will not be the political party leader of the UDP? I don't mean leader of the opposition, I mean leader of the party."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"How could I guarantee that. I can guarantee the convention that is coming up whenever it is held I have no interest in putting my name forward, but again I can't determine what the future will hold. On your show I told you that I supported the Hon. Patrick Faber and when he was to retire and not want it anymore, I would want it. I had no idea that would happen now and certainly I don't think its my time, but again, I didn't anticipate what is happening."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"This is what I am saying. 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."
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, you are the one who drew first blood against Patrick Faber. You spoke pit before Tracey, before John Saldivar."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, UDP Mesopotamia
"So what was I spoused to do, not say anything, look the other way and I could guarantee you that the social partners would ate us alive, the media would have eaten us alive."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But you showed your hand early, sir."
