Peyrefitte’s Plea: Can Love for Party and Country Heal the UDP?

Mike Peyrefitte is calling for unity, but not necessarily harmony, within the United Democratic Party. In his words, the U.D.P. doesn’t need to “hold hands and sing kumbaya,” but it does need to get serious about its role as the opposition. He’s urging party members to put aside personal and petty differences for the greater good of Belize. But here’s the catch: Peyrefitte admits that everyone, himself included, may have played a part in the party’s current struggles. His message is clear, if the U.D.P. wants to move forward, it must first look inward. When asked whether his return as chairman might lead to a Senate seat, Peyrefitte shut that down quickly.

 

Mike Peyrefitte, Returning Chairman, U.D.P.

“We have to be much better and the love of our party knowing that a viable UDP is in the best interest of Belize, those two things override any issues, whether personal or petty that anybody may have with each other. We don’t have to hold hands and sing kumbaya, but we have to understand the importance of the role of the opposition. And we have to understand that we may have all been at fault in terms of where the UDP is now. But we have to move forward and we have to check ourselves, all of us, and decide that if we want to move forward, this is how it’ll have to be.”

 

Reporter

“Since it’s all hands on deck and all the best hands are on deck, you are skilled as a debater in the parliament, should you be rewarded with a senatorial post to return to the senate?”

 

Mike Peyrefitte

“We don’t play games with the, at least, I don’t play games with the post that are serious like this, that’s serious business. Discussing parliamentary business is serious business and that discussion has not come up.”

 

Reporter

“But you do it well.”

 

Mike Peyrefitte

“I do a lot of things well. I did not come back as chairman as some quid pro quo in any way. I came back out of the love of the United Democratic Party and I am telling you this, I will say this to you, I came back very reluctantly. I come back very reluctantly, but they know my weakness, and my weakness is the United Democratic Party and the love of my country.”

 

After hearing from Peyrefitte this afternoon, here are a few important questions: Is Peyrefitte’s return a real turning point, or just a temporary patch? Can the U.D.P. truly move forward if its leadership remains uncertain and conditional? And what does it say about the party’s stability if its chairman is already talking about resigning, again?