On June 24th, Mesopotamia UDP Representative Shyne Barrow pulled an unlikely coup. The first term rep catapulted himself to the prime position of leader of the opposition within months of being elected.
And he made hay while the sun shone very briefly - taking his senior parliamentary post as a calling card on his first return trip to the US after ending deported in 2008.
Barrow held on as long as he could - or as long as it took Patrick Faber to get two other members of the opposition bench to sign their support to him.
In a fast moving set of developments which unfolded since Sunday, he has done that - bringing Hugo Patt over to his side and winning the support of long time hold out Tracey Panton.
And, he did it all in time to be sworn in before Independence day when he wants to be the one giving that national address.
It took some doing, but he wrapped it all this morning and the media spoke with him after he was sworn in:
Hon. Patrick Faber - Leader of the Opposition
"Well as you know our party has undergone quite a bit of turmoil, so to have to come back and be reinstated is not necessarily as joyous a feeling as it was the first time in November and even then I was sworn in November I expressed that this is not necessarily the job that I would have hoped for and that position remains the same, my ultimate position of course is to one day lead this nation but in terms of now having the party united with one leader of party and leader of the opposition it is a good feeling and my commitment is that I will work as I have always to try to ensure that the party is strengthen because it is in that strength that we will find the strength to be a good opposition to the government which is the principal role of the opposition. We will try our very best to ensure that we keep the government in check but as I've said time and time again our role is also to give support where support can be given because when Belize prospers, everybody prospers."
Reporter
"Sir would you be able to speak about the inner workings that led to this moment for you?"
Hon. Patrick Faber - Leader of the Opposition
"We will have a press conference in the morning and at that time my colleagues will join in, the leaders of the party and others who were instrumental in helping us to forge the unity and at that time we will answer any such questions that you might have."
Reporter
"What can you tell us about reported alliances that you have formed with John Saldivar?"
Hon. Patrick Faber
"That is exactly what I am talking about, that we disclose all that information tomorrow. Tomorrow's press conference will be primarily to discuss the party's matter, while you know that I have long maintained that these issues are normally internal to the party. I think so much has happened, so much have seeped into the public domain and certainly in terms of the general membership of our party, I think they deserve to know what has happened. There has been a lot of misinformation and speculation that obliges us to try to correct those things and so it is why we're decided that we will hold a very brief press conference in the morning."
Reporter
"We received a video from Khalid Belisle this morning saying that his bid for UDP caretaker in Belmopan is far from over and it continues."
Hon. Patrick Faber
"That dismisses immediately some of the speculations and misinformation that has happened but we will speak more about it tomorrow."
Reporter
"Sir we don't see Hon. Tracy Panton, Hon. Hugo Patt and other colleagues from the house here today."
Hon. Patrick Faber
"Well you know there is a pandemic and in fact the numbers that were allowed in here were very small this morning, while I would have love to have all my colleagues here, it simply was not possible, so don't use who is here and who is not here as any indication of support or lack of support."
As you heard, Faber will have a press conference tomorrow and 7News will be there. He will reportedly be at the head table with former adversary John Saldivar
