Panton Unveils UDP Shadow Cabinet to Challenge PUP Dominance

After years of public infighting, leadership battles and a fractured base that weakened the United Democratic Party at the polls, Opposition Leader Tracy Panton is taking firm steps towards reestablishing the legitimacy of the organization. She says the rebuilding phase is no longer optional, it is urgent. With the ruling People’s United Party firmly in control of government, Panton is now moving to rebrand and reorganize the UDP as a credible alternative, rolling out structural reforms, party appointments and election preparations aimed at restoring unity and discipline within the opposition. Earlier today, Panton released the names of Shadow Cabinet members and says the stakes go beyond party politics, warning that Belize’s democracy, sovereignty and national security are at risk under the current administration.

 

Tracy Panton, Party Leader, United Democratic Party

“In the first week of January, we’ll be announcing our shadow cabinet. We are also going to be finalizing our appointments to the central executive committee. We are moving forward with the constitutional amendment for the United Democratic Party, high on our priority list, and then we start preparing constituencies to get ready for the municipal elections. In 2027. There’s lots of work to be done. We have been working on consolidating our base doing everything we can to unite the party. As I say to people, it’s not a magic wand. It takes time and effort and work. But I feel very comfortable that we are making very good progress. And we understand as a party what is at stake. Our democracy, as I say, is in peril or sovereignty is under threat. We see the infiltration of the criminal element in the north. We see incursions in the south and we really have to hold this administration to account. That’s the job of the opposition, and that’s what we intend to do.”