Earlier in the news, we showed what the Opposition UDP had to say about the Police Commissioner's letter to OJ Elrington.
That was only a tiny slice of their 2-hour press conference on a broad range of national issues. One conversation that the Opposition Leader "Shyne" Barrow didn't want to discuss, however, was the latest bout of infighting within the United Democratic Party.
The Party Leader has removed Tracy Taegar Panton from the Central Executive where she was the Leader of the Central Region. Barrow has said expressed in private forums within the Party that the regional caucuses of the UDP Central Executive need to elect regional leaders. That has put him in direct conflict with the current regional leaders, who were asked to serve in those posts by the Party's decision-making bodies.
Then, there is the party propagandist, Delroy Cuthkelvin, who continues to produce advertisements criticizing the decisions that the Opposition Leader has been making - some of them aired on tonight's news. For these acts, Cuthkelvin is currently the subject of a complaint before the Party's ethics committee, which could lead to his ejection from the UDP.
All of that political drama is unfolding before an observant electorate that is tracking the opposition party's foundering attempts at revival. When the press asked about the dispute about the posts for regional leaders, Barrow made it clear that those types of questions weren't welcomed. Here's that back and forth:
Paul Lopez - Ch 5
"Let me ask my first question on a matter that has not been raised here. There are some that are of the opinion that maybe the public doesn't care about the internal politics of the party."
Moses "Shyne" Barrow - Leader of Opposition
"Mr. Lopez, let me stop you right there. Unlike other people, the party's constitution prevents discussion of internal party matters. So, while there have been others who have chosen to go public, with distortions and lies, I, as party leader, and no one at this table would engage in any public disclosure of our internal matters."
Daniel Ortiz
"All I am seeking from you in terms of comment, sir, is that we will not, as a result of this current rift end up back at..."
Moses "Shyne" Barrow
"There is no current rift. There is rebuilding. This is what rebuilding looks like. You are young, and so I forgive you. Maybe you weren't there when Prime Minister Briceno went through the exact same thing. Said Musa went through it. Francis Fonseca. So then, you know that this is par for the course. It has been 60 days, you know. Come to me 12 months from now. There is an internal process and mechanism that deals with internal issues. We are here to discuss national issues, which we have done."
Daniel Ortiz
"One more question, even though it is not invited. Are you concerned about this new Coalition for Unity and Change that has emerged and seems to be antagonistic against you?"
Moses "Shyne" Barrow
"I don't know I don't know what part of national issues and what the people are concerned about, You don't understand. Do you know why I resent this line of questioning? [It's] because notwithstanding the difficulties that any organization will experience, in rebuilding, you, the media, will choose to focus on that rather than all of the important matters."
Of course, the media kept pressing the topic, and after heavy resistance, the Opposition Leader finally relented and addressed it directly. He insisted that these are distractions from sore losers who haven't gotten over the fact that he won the leadership convention. Here's how he explained why:
Moses "Shyne" Barrow - Leader of Opposition
"We started at zero in these village councils, at zero. Now, we have won about 40 villages. I'll tell you. San Jose, in Orange Walk North, with almost 3,000 people, that was never before been red - or hasn't been red in at least three elections, went red. If all that you were saying was true, and the large population was so concerned, we would not be winning anything. We would see a repeat of the municipal elections where we only won two councilors, not two municipalities, two councilors. If you think it is not probable, then you are not on the ground. It is a fight. It is a war out there. People on the battleground; people are giving it their all. I don't understand how, in all of this, you will focus on the negative, but you won't focus on the fact that I was in Orange Walk South, in San Carlos, with Lupe Magana, who is a known supporter of my predecessor, and did not vote for me, put out a public advertisement asking people to vote for my opponent. Isn't that unity, that she and I are on the farm, checking to the matters of San Carlos. How come you don't talk about me and Elodio Aragon Sr. and Elodio Aragon Jr. You didn't see any of those pictures or videos of us campaigning together in the village councils? What about Alfonso Sanchez? All supporters of my opponent in the convention, and after we lost, I moved on, and I have been dedicated to rebuilding the party. So what I am saying, there is many great things happening in the UDP."
