UDP Gearing Up for Municipal Elections, UDP Leader Tracy Panton Says

Leader of the Opposition Tracy Panton says the United Democratic Party (UDP) is actively preparing to contest and win seats in the upcoming municipal elections, as the party ramps up organization and outreach at the local level.  Speaking on the party’s readiness, Panton said the UDP is focused on strengthening its municipal slates, engaging communities, and presenting candidates it believes are capable of delivering effective local governance. She noted that municipal elections are critical to addressing everyday concerns such as infrastructure, sanitation, markets, and community safety.  Panton explained that the UDP’s preparations include internal restructuring, renewed grassroots engagement, and messaging centered on accountability and service delivery in towns and cities across the country. She added that the party is confident voters are looking for strong alternatives in municipal leadership.

Tracy Panton, UDP Party Leader: “It is our intention to do very well in the municipal but it remains that the groundwork starts today. We will be, of course, visiting all 31 constituencies. We’re going to go back to these constituencies and sit down to ensure that everybody has a plan that will lead us to a successful municipal results and also in terms of our general preparedness to become the next government in 2030. There are four caucuses, we have the Northern Caucus, the Southern Caucus, the Western Caucus, and the Central Caucus, and so we’ve been having those conversations because they are, in effect, the leadership team in those areas. And we are also just about to complete, I should say, the determination of our zone coordinators who will help us to do the political work on the ground. Of course there are things that we still have to sort out. You know we still have to sort out what happens with our mechanisms such as the Wave Radio, Wave Television and of course we know you have done a herculean job with the Guardian Newspaper and we expect that to be a going concern. And there’s some administrative stuff that we still have to sort out, which I think we’re well on our way and I’m satisfied with the pace that we’re going.”

The Opposition Leader also said the UDP intends to highlight what it views as shortcomings in current municipal administrations, while promoting policies aimed at improving efficiency and responsiveness at the local government level.