UDP Chairman Alberto August Signals Exit as Party Prepares for New Leadership

With Panton making history as the first woman Party Leader for the UDP, and for any main political party in Belize, many are looking to see the differences that would come with a woman at the helm.  For Alberto August who has served as the UDP Chairman since Dean Barrow’s leadership era, he has expressed an eagerness to step out of the executive arena of the party.

Alberto August, UDP Ag Chairman: “The role of the chairman of a political party is not an easy one and especially if you’re serious about taking on the job. If you’re not serious you can treat it flippantly. But if you’re serious about taking on the job, it’s a heavy load. I think that I have taken on this load for too long. I think it’s time for somebody else now to take on the load for the party. I will be stepping aside to allow a new person to emerge. In terms of stepping away from the UDP that will not happen. I will continue to be a supporter of the United Democratic Party until the day I go to heaven. The majority of my service to the United Democratic Party in an executive capacity first as the chairman and then later on as the vice chairman, the first part especially, was extremely rewarding. I had the pleasure of working with the Right Honorable Dean Barrow during this period. And you know he was busy in terms of running the government because to run a government is no joke either. And so I was given the task of running the party basically. And it was a wonderful experience. It was a pleasure to have worked with the Honorable Dean Barrow and I had committed to him boss when you leave I was going to leave also. And that was my intention, to leave and stepping out then Michael Peyrefitte announced that he would have taken up the position only if I agreed to serve as the vice chairman and that was how I ended up, contesting too you know, contesting the position of vice chairman and of course winning handsomely. And that is how I stayed on for this tumultuous period.”

August served as Chairman under Dean Barrow and then as Vice Chairman under Moses Shyne Barrow.  His last official act in this capacity will be oversight of Sunday’s leadership convention.