But Trapp is not alone since he is backed up by his party leader. Patrick Faber gave his full support to the mayor and the single UDP councilor, Bernadette Fernandez. At the start of the conference, he said that the change of venue was a blessing in disguise since they would not have to hold back, as he implied, they would have done if the town hall was used. He also added that he had hoped that this split council would be a model for others that will inevitably form in the future.
Hon. Patrick Faber, Party Leader, UDP
"I know that there was a big stir about the mayor holding a press conference at the town hall and I am fully in support of having the press conference here because it allows us to fully make the thing political, I don't think that that was your intention mayor once you decided you were going to use the town hall but you wanted to talk about the issues that were facing the workers particularly at the San Ignacio/Santa Elena Town Council but they've given us now an opportunity to make sure that this is full blown politics so we hold nothing back."
"The five councilors of the PUP had pulled some kind of move and in fact had dictated that they would be sworn in earlier than the official swearing in ceremony that you had planned and the council had planned. However, I remember well that those 5 councilors saw it in themselves to be present at the swearing in for the mayor and councilor Bernie and so I thought that we were off to a good start and I really really felt very good about the fact that there was at least that intention at the start for the possibility that a split council, which has happened in our country before, but that clearly was upon us once again, it was really my hope, and I was encouraged, that it could be a model for what may come in the years down the road whenever we have a split council. But sadly, the events that followed and their actions that followed seemed to have dictated a pace for bipartisanship and for people who were elected under different political banners to work together."
Trapp also has the support of the other wing of the UDP leadership - the UDP parliamentary caucus led by Shyne Barrow they deplore the PUP councillors that refuse to work with Mayor Trapp.
