UDP Marks 53 Years Amid Push for Party Unity

The United Democratic Party is marking 53 years since its founding, celebrating the activists, supporters and leaders who have sustained the party through decades of political battles and national development. The milestone comes as the UDP continues the difficult work of unifying a fractured organization, following years of internal division. Despite those challenges, Opposition Leader Tracy Panton says the party’s strength has never been in its headquarters or elected officials but in the generations of Belizeans who have championed democracy under the UDP banner. She is now inviting supporters to join a weekend of activities commemorating the party’s 53rd anniversary. Here is Tracy Panton.

 

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“We’re celebrating the United Democratic Party at 53, and as I say often, the party is not this building, it’s not the headquarters. It’s the men and women who for 53 years have championed democracy, have worked in the trenches for the great United Democratic Party and for this country. And it is important that we celebrate the achievements of all those who have contributed and continue to contribute to the party’s development who continue to contribute to nation-building in this country using the platform of the United Democratic Party and who will ensure that the United Democratic Party becomes the next government, both at the municipal level in twenty twenty-seven and general elections in twenty thirty. The actual birthday is on Sunday the twenty-seventh of September. So today we have the Wave Radio and Television reaching out to our supporters, giveaways as a way of saying thank you for the support. We have a church service, a Thanksgiving service on Sunday at St. John’s Cathedral starting at eight thirty.”

 

The United Democratic Party was formed in 1973 and took eleven years to win a General Election.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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