We pressed Faber to speak on the sudden appearance of party unity - and whether it was just a matter of political expediency - and not a sudden and deep attachment to leader Shyne Barrow:
Patrick Faber, Area Rep., Collet
"The fact that the PUPs have done so much and the country really cannot, but even before we go to the country, in terms of the membership of the UDP, the cry has been long-standing now. They want to see a united front in the party."
"They want to not be in the tug of war anymore, and what better time to make that unification than when we are about to face the polls. I don't think it's that difficult to understand that fighting the PUP is more important than fighting among ourselves."
"We view that as paramount. As the party leader has said, the work of getting the party to where we want it continues. It does not mean that everybody is jumping up for joy. This is a process, and we continue to work at it, but we will continue to do that within the confines of the unity umbrella, and we hope that it can be the start of us regaining control of the national government, which not only the party members need, the country desperately needs."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you all prepared to come back here the same happy Kumbaya crew? Are you all prepared to come back here on Thursday if the UDP loses to say the same thing that we remain united behind the leader Shyne Barrow, or will you all start sharpening your knives to get rid of the man who lost the municipals?"
Patrick Faber, Area Rep., Collet
"You always so pessimistic, Jules Vazquez. Let's focus on the fact that we are geared up, well-oiled and tuned up to win, but the UDP has been in this position before. We have been in the doldrums. We have gone to, in fact, lower than we where we were, in fact three seats only, and we've had successive losses after that 1998 loss, and we gradually built ourselves back. We kept the same leader. I'm not saying that that is necessarily what must be, but politics is dynamic."
"Maybe the leader, if what you are saying is the case, may have some different view on what will happen. I don't know. We can't tell. The dynamics tomorrow will be there, but I don't want to further your point there, because it doesn't make well for what it is we are trying to achieve, which is unification."
"And so I'll just leave it at that. Politics is very dynamic, one day, tomorrow might be a whole different ballgame for the Bricenio administration. If what the leader predicts is true, nine municipalities could go red and it could be a whole different ballgame tomorrow."
