UDP Rejects Philloughby’s Mayoral Application, Approves Two Candidates

The People’s United Party has two candidates for Mayor of Belize City and so too does the United Democratic Party. Party Leader Tracy Panton says their two candidates, attorney Jackie Willoughby and business manager Damian Gough, will face off in an open convention to be announced shortly. Panton also confirmed that while Philip Willoughby applied for both mayor and councilor, the party has approved him to run only as a councilor. She says the party is confident it is assembling a strong team to regain control of Belize City Hall.

 

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“We have Miss Jackie Willoughby and we have Mr. Damian Gough who have both  submitted their applications to serve in that capacity. We will have a convention in Belize City to determine our slate. I think they are both formidable candidates for the United Democratic Party, and I am pleased that both of them have offered themselves to run for this party. They are both very valuable to the work of the rebuilding of the party. Ms. Willoughby, as you know, is the legal advisor to the National Party Council and Mr. Gough is the chairman of our Policy and Planning Committee for the National Party Council. And so they’re both doing Herculean work for the party as it relates to our rebuilding efforts. And I think they both have a lot to offer to the management and leadership of the city. There was also an application received, so I can clear this up, from Mr. Philip Willoughby and he applied for both positions of mayoral candidate and councilor candidate. The nominations committee who did the review and the vetting and then further sent on their report and recommendations to the central executive committee, who are, you know, the executing decision-makers for the party, have accepted Mr. Willoughby’s application as a councilor candidate, not as a mayoral candidate. We have a host of young professionals who have offered themselves as councilor candidates and we look forward to a very robust campaign season and we look forward to getting – taking over City Hall in March of 2027.”

 

Jackie Willoughby and Damian Gough are both running for political office for the first time.

 

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