And, switching gears now to politics.
The UDP celebrated its 48 anniversary today. The party was founded in 1973 - as a coalition of 3 parties: Phillip Goldson's NIP, Dean Lindo's PDM - and Harry Lawrence's Liberal Party.
And 48 years later - it seems like they still have three UDP's: Patrick Faber's, Shyne Barrow's, and John Saldivar's. Up to two weeks ago, they were all going in different directions - but now - all on the same page - or at least that's what they tried to project today at an anniversary celebration at their headquarters. Jules Vasquez was there:
They cut the cake, drank the wine - and even made a toast to fresh starts:
John Saldivar, BELMOPAN ASPIRANT
"So all I will say is that the best part of breaking up, is making up."
Indeed, today the party did it's best to project unity - even if only two of the 5 elected representatives were there:
Beverly Williams
"Today's event will show that the UDP is alive and while a little bruise, we are united."
Maybe more than a little bruised - the party is battered - and had to fight to put up the appearance of a unified front:
Hon. Tracey Panton, UDP Albert Rep
"Today we celebrate those who have kept the faith in the United Democratic Party in the good times and in times like these when we are now in the process of writhing our ship."
Indeed the message today was that the UDP has been at this low before, and even lower:
Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman
"We are a united party but we are also a democratic party and democracies are messy at best. I was lamenting how we've had differences; we've had some very public quarrels and the like and the elder told me, relax man, that's a part of the UDP process, that's how we do it and the person told me, the quarrel we are having now is light weight quarrel. You wanted to see the quarrels between Mr. Lindo and Mr. Goldson, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Esquivel, Mr. Vasquez - all those people who were a part of the foundation of the UDP. She told me don't worry we are doing fine and the UDP with all its trials and tribulations will come out united."
So, quarrelsome is a way of life with the UDP
Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Party Leader
"We must understand that the kind of divisions that exist from time to time in this party is not necessarily a bad thing. What is important is that we are able to unite this party when it is we need to unite like we brought it together in 1973, like we brought it together in 1998 and that we do the ground work that is necessary for us to make the party fighting fit and a formidable force."
But can the UDP be credible again?
Jules Vasquez
"How unified really is the UDP? We only see one of your elected representatives here. We don't see your first deputy leader Hugo Patt, we don't see Shyne Barrow or Sista B, so you are absent 3 representatives out of your 5."
Hon. Patrick Faber, Leader of the Opposition
"You know Sista doesn't like these kinds of events and so would not come and I believe Shyne maybe is in route if he is not traveling today, he's going to arrive today - something like that, so everybody was invited in terms of the parliamentarians, But I can assure there is no kind of disunity there. We are in constant communication. We are in chat groups together; we have virtual meetings together and so I can confidently tell you that that kind of situation where there is a rift no longer exists."
