Same old faces: UDP receives 64 standard bearer applications

Black Immigrant Daily News

BELIZE CITY, Fri. Sept. 30, 2022

Today, the United Democratic Party closed its call for candidates to submit their applications to be the party’s standard bearers in the 31 constituencies in the country. The seats in the Mesopotamia, Albert, and Corozal North constituencies — held by elected area representatives Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Tracy Panton, and Hugo Patt respectively — will all remain uncontested. In the Collet division, Patrick Faber’s name appears on the list, despite the release of a letter by the chairperson of the UDP Nominations Committee outlining the rejection of his application. The Collet constituency is being contested by the former Director of the National Sports Council, Ian Jones. In Queen’s Square, Denise “Sista B” Barrow did not resubmit her name for candidacy.

A total of 64 applications were submitted at the end of business today. A large number of the applicants are familiar faces in the UDP, and there has even been some “bad blood” between some of them and the organization. In the Freetown division, in which Orson “OJ” Elrington has been standard bearer, UDP mayor Zenaida Moya has submitted her application for candidacy, and in the Pickstock division former Lake Independence representative Mark King is vying for the leadership of the division against former City Council member Dean Samuels.

Both King and Moya were in the public eye due to controversies that arose since they entered office and have previously sued or threatened to sue the UDP. King was investigated by police for allegedly firing a gun in public following an argument with his girlfriend in July 2020. He is also known to have sued activist Moses Sulph for slander over a Facebook post concerning working conditions at King’s security company. Moya, who was first booted from the UDP in 2010 over words uttered by her against then Prime Minister Dean Barrow, had sued the party, and at one point there was public speculation about her interest in being a PUP candidate. Her expulsion from the UDP was eventually downgraded to a one-year suspension.

Former Corozal mayor, Hilberto Campos, has submitted an application to represent the UDP in Corozal Bay, and Antonio Herrera, a current senator, is seeking to be the standard bearer in the Corozal South East division. Elodio Aragon, Jr., has submitted his name in a bid to be the UDP candidate in Orange Walk East. Also, Edmond Castro, former Cabinet minister and area representative for Belize Rural North, has resubmitted his name to become the standard bearer in the division, and Beverly Williams, current senator, has once again submitted her application to be the UDP standard bearer in Belize Rural Central.

In Queen’s Square, Godwin Haylock and Shane Williams are contesting the division, currently held by Denise “Sista B” Barrow, who, as mentioned, did not submit an application to represent the division. In Port Loyola, Philip Willoughby and AC Castillo have submitted their names, and Melvin Hewlett has applied to hold over in the Fort George division as UDP standard bearer.

In Cayo Central, Mayor Earl Trapp, Jr., has submitted an application to vie against three others in a bid to represent the division. Omar Figueroa, former Cabinet minister, has submitted his application and will be uncontested in Cayo North. In Belmopan, four familiar names are listed as applicants seeking to represent the division: previous Belmopan area rep and Cabinet minister, John Saldivar; former Belmopan mayor, Khalid Belisle; Emil Torres, and George Lovell.

In Stann Creek West, UDP hopeful Ivan Williams once again submitted his name with two others. And in Dangriga, Richard Webster, Francis Marin, Earth Lopez, and Norman Usher, Jr., have submitted their names to contest the division.

Former mayor of Punta Gorda Ashton McKenzie has submitted his name to run in Toledo East.

Reports are that former UDP leader Patrick Faber’s chance of running in the division he has held for 5 terms consecutively will hinge on whether he complies with the demands made by the UDP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), which has ordered him to remove posts on his social media page that are critical of UDP leadership. He was removed from the CEC due to his non-compliance with their directive and now a recent letter outlining breaches of the UDP constitution is being used to block his application. The UDP chairman and party leader have both said that if he complies he would be allowed to represent the party in that division.

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