But Marcel Cardona is no Patrick Faber - not even close. Like we said at the top - Faber is a 5 term representative, and, more directly, in electoral terms - he is a political scientist: the man knows how to win elections. And that's because he came up as a boy in the UDP political machinery - which is why - despite his many domestic entanglements and inter-party fights, Collet voters still stick by him.
And even now - and he's being rejected by the executive of his own UDP - they appeared ready to stay the course, even through this latest storm. I sampled opinion in that community today:
Reporter
"Last night Patrick Faber applied to be the standard bearer for Collet and the UDP told him thanks, but no thanks, we don't want you to run in Collet. How do you feel that an elected representative, somebody who the people voted for is being told by his party we don't want you."
Collet Voter
"I mean, is it his party now a days like what happened? I mean if they don't want him again, we can't be angry at it. Most of us can be, because we are already use to him and we don't want to see a new face that might cause problems. Think about it like what if he finds someone else, he might be better or might be worse - might ignore us, might not help out the people that needs help when it comes to healthcare, houses, land or maybe education, because he helped out a lot of people with education. I admire Patrick Faber for that, he was very helpful for a lot of people, including me."
Collet Voter
"They disrespect the man, they shouldn't tell the man that. I don't know who is Shyne or Dean Barrow. Dean Barrow is nobody and Shyne is nobody. The man didn't disrespect nobody. Give the man a chance in life."
Collet Voter
"Right now, with the way how our country is heading, we should be trying to come together as a party, rather than trying to destroy each other and trying to be petty and find stuff to take out someone from that party. We want formality and that's not there. We want unity and that's not there. So, how would you want to lead a country when that is not present and as a matter of fact you're even being petty using facebook to actually vindictive to this man. Its doesn't make any sense to me and Shyne could have been the last to even make such a decision, because he has a history as well, he had a past. Imagine if we had used that against him, he wouldn't be where he is today, so why not try to lenient on Mr. Faber. He has been through too much and he is a human being as well. So this is not right. I am a UDP and that is making me think that what is my party going to, where are we heading to. Back of your mind you're thinking about your future and where the party is leading to with a man like Shyne, he is being vindictive to me, because why would you want to use a facebook post. That's his way how be vents. Everybody posts on facebook these days. You can't take those things serious."
Collet Voter
"I don't feel no way."
Reporter
"How come you don't feel no way?"
Collet Voter
"Because he is not giving away anything back here and we don't see him."
Collet Voter
"Well, this situation Patrick is five-time champion. No matter who you bring, no matter who you put here, we got his back, Collet got his back. You move Patrick, you lose a seat."
Collet Voter
"Well, I feel bad about that, because Mr. Faber is to be the next prime minister of Belize and see it here, the fish from Collet Division and I feel proud of Mr. Faber."
Reporter
"What the fish represents?"
Collet Voter
"The fish represents the sea and the fish to eat, because this is what we go and fish every time and Mr. Faber supports us when we go work and when he comes in, he gets his fish. So, good luck Mr. Faber, because they can't move you from there."
Collet Voter
"Feel bad. They don't know that Patrick is in with us from 1993. Where do they come from? They just come. Patrick is an old soldier in the army and he never loses. Five-time winner. We don't want no shoe-Shyne, no shoe-Shyne. Patrick Faber all the way!"
Collet Voter
"He is a nice minister to Collet and he is a very good guy, so he don't deserve what they are doing to him and I'm going to speak my view for my minister Patrick Faber."
Collet Voter
"It's true, we don't want him either, because he is not doing anything for us."
Reporter
"You feel like somebody else could win this division other than Patrick Faber?"
Collet Voter
"Yes ma'am, and do better. He has to go. It's not if, but or maybe - he has to go."
Collet Voter
"I guess it's how politics goes. It's the way how they plays it, they don't want Faber. From long time the party is not happy with Faber, but Faber is a good man, so I don't see any reason they don't want to accept him and without Faber they will not win in this constituency."
We'll keep following this story as various factions in the party have been meeting to try and plan what steps to take next.
