STATEMENT FROM PARTY LEADER HON. PATRICK HON. PATRICK FABER.

Good evening, first of all let me thank all those who have supported me in my journey this far, in particular my family, my constituency, the greatest of them all - the Collet Constituency, my colleagues, my shadow cabinet, the central executive of the Party and most of all the faithful members and supporters of the UDP.

It is with a very heavy heart that I stand before you today to signal my departure as leader of the opposition in the house of the representatives and leader of our great United Democratic Party. Both resignations I wish to become effective in a few days on January 31 2022.

While I maintain that the information circulating about matters with Dr Shanikka Arnold are not the facts, the ills that come with allegations are simply too much of a burden for me to place on the shoulders of our beloved party and it’s faithful membership. I have made a decision to focus my attention on giving my fiancé, in this her time of need, my full attention and support. While doing so I will also work on me to ensure that in future times I can continue to be as best as I can the advocate for Belize’s development that you’ve all known me to be in the past.

Rest assured that my efforts remain committed for the people of Collet whom I will continue to represent and that I will still give my all to fight, as a member of the UDP, to secure a better country for all of us. Long live Belize, long live the UDP!!!

Faber’s Fiancee’s Statement Leaked

So, there it is - a lifetime's political dream extinguished in under two minutes. Faber steps down as leader, handing the reigns - temporarily to First Deputy Hugo Patt - and he plans to remain the Collett Representative for the UDP.

It is a decision that - as you might have expected - did not come easily. We are told that in his meetings with party personalities this weekend - Faber was making the case that the domestic incident was not his fault - and that, in fact, he was not the aggressor.

But, events of today pretty much made it a case closed against him. The statement and medico legal form for his fiance were leaked and widely circulated via WhatsApp. While we absolutely will not go into the details - suffice to say that, in politics, where perception is reality, no personality seeking public office can withstand the withering details contained inside such a statement.

Channel 7

Faber to Step Down Amid Political Firestorm

What should have been a press conference to face the media, amid the latest scandal involving the alleged physical abuse of his fiancée, ended up being an almost two-minute long recorded message announcing his pending departure.  Tonight, beleaguered politician Patrick Faber has decided to step down as Leader of the Opposition and head of the United Democratic Party.  It comes in the midst of a flood of condemnations from all corners, including the trade union congress, the People’s United Party, as well as the Office of the Special Envoy.  On Friday, Faber took what can be considered a cheap shot at the chairman of the U.D.P. whom he referred to as a vulture.  Today, however, Faber seems to have eaten crow and decided that his resignation is indeed best for the party.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Patrick Faber, Party Leader, U.D.P.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I stand before you today to signal my departure as Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives and leader of our great United Democratic Party. Both resignations I wish to become effective in a few days, on January 31 ^st , 2022.”

…and just like that the beleaguered party leader is falling on his own sword to spare the party the hemorrhaging that it suffered under a similar scandal last year which almost resulted in his ouster.  The death knell was sounded on Friday when the chairman of the United Democratic Party publicly condemned Patrick Faber’s behavior, in the wake of yet another ugly mess involving an allegation of domestic violence.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“If we stand with the current situation, we will not get the respect of the Belizean people and it is my job as chairman of the party to say that we do not stand by that, me specifically as well.  I do not support that, I do not defend that. Under the circumstances, of the best interest of the party, he needs to resign and he needs to resign now.”

Earlier today, Faber cancelled a scheduled press conference and opted, instead, to release a recorded statement announcing his pending departure.  In the face of a formal statement given by his fiancée, Dr. Shanika Arnold, to police at the Domestic Violence Unit last Wednesday, the besieged politician boldly attempted to save face.

Patrick Faber

“While I maintain that the information circulating about matters with Dr. Shanika Arnold are not the facts, the ills that come with these allegations are simply too much of a burden for me to place on the shoulders of our beloved party and its faithful membership.  I have made a decision to focus my attention on giving my fiancée in this her time of need my full attention and support.”

In her report, Dr. Arnold claimed that Faber told her during a physical confrontation at their residence in Lord’s Bank that, “one of us will die tonight and it won’t be me”.

Michael Peyrefitte

“I have a seventeen-year-old daughter, how do I face her as the chairman of an organization whose leader, not once, not twice, three times involved or from what we know in these situations.  So I would hope that he would do the right thing and just step down.”

Perhaps heeding the advice of his inner circle, Faber has decided to demit office at the end of the month and bade farewell to his supporters while reassuring his constituency that he will continue to work in their best interest.

Patrick Faber

“First of all, let me thank all those who have supported me in my journey this far, in particular my family, my constituency, the greatest of them all, the Collet Constituency, my colleagues, the shadow cabinet, the central executive of the party and most of all, the faithful members and supporters of the U.D.P. Rest assured that my efforts remain committed for the people of Collet whom I will continue to represent and that I will still give my all to fight, as a member of the U.D.P., to secure a better country for all of us.  Long live Belize, long live the U.D.P.”

Channel 5

Faber Remains As UDP's Leader; Says He'll Resign On The 31st

While Shyne and Tracy say they're ready to lead, the truth is that they're vying for a position that doesn't even exist! That's because Patrick Faber hasn't resigned as yet. In his statement yesterday, he explained that his resignation would come into effect on January 31st, but political observers know that one day in politics is like a year -and, in that time, there can be a hundred decisions and indecisions.

That means that in the next six days, anything can happen, so - until it's done - Faber's resignation is still up in the air. Today, via Zoom, the UDP chairman explained that even he isn't sure what Faber's next move is.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.
"As we speak, he is still the leader of the U.D.P.; I haven't received any resignation letter and I have not been informed that any official resignation letter has been tendered to the secretariat. All I have is a video, I think that everybody has seen, of which he has indicated that he is going to resign, but it will take effect January thirty-first. What's today's date, January twenty-fifth - that's about five six days; that's a lifetime in politics. If it was me and I was resigning, I would do it immediately. You would have to ask him as to why he would do a resignation to take effect at some time in the future."

"What happens now? nothing. Patrick Faber is still the leader of the UDP. If he officially resigns then at that point then the party will move on to determine a new leader. You can resign from leader of opposition in the house and not necessarily resigned as party leader, you can resign as party leader, but not necessarily leader of opposition in the house. I don't know. Like I said unless there is a new way of doing things, I haven't received any written official confirmation in the usual way of when a person resigns from the UDP. From now until January 31, he could come back and say well he changes his mind, he could come back and I did say I was not going to resign until the 31, it's not yet the 31. So we don't know. When you have something set to happen in the future especially in politics, it could be anything, so that is the limbo we find ourselves in."

And while Peyrefitte hopes that Faber will be true to his word and indeed resign, we asked him if he feels gratified considering that Faber had referred to him as a "vulture" for voicing his opinion on Friday.

Jules Vasquez
"Is there any gratification for you knowing that you called for this, you are the only one bold enough to call for it and eventually he had to do it."

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.
"There is no gratification from me in what's going on. We as a party we have must come off from a bruising ordeal with the attempt at his recall and all of that. I believe that we had picked up most of the pieces and we were moving along just as we wanted. I believe that we were bringing the issues to the Belizean people, now all of a sudden Johnny doesn't really have to explain to the 15 million or what's is he going to do with it. All of a sudden, we are not talking about insurance, about the sugar industry, we have a major issue at the port - we are not talking about it anymore, so this situation that has brought about, with the UDP, there is nothing gratifying for it for me at all. I would have preferred for this not to have happened. I would have preferred that we would have had a good bowl of steam going into town board elections, city council elections 2025 with Patrick Faber as the leader of the UDP."

"I could have played it cagily like some others have, but that's not the type of person I am. If I see something and if I can point out what I believe is wrong about the PUP and wrong about the other side, then I also have to be the first to point out what I think is wrong with somebody on our side."

Channel 7