Earlier in the news, we told you how Jamal "Shyne" Barrow wants to replace his uncle, Michael Finnegan, as the UDP Standard Bearer in Mesopotamia. Well, equally of interest is PUP's Lisa Shoman who wants to be the next Leader of her Party.
She one of 5 potential candidates including Cordel Hyde, Julius Espat, John Briceno, and Kareem Musa, but she is the first woman to express an interest in leading a mass party.
She's also unelected but this evening, she told us that she does not believe that being an elected member of the House is a pre-requisite for the leadership of the Party. Here's how she explained it:
Lisa Shoman, PUP Senator - Leader of Opposition Business
"It's a job that no woman in Belize to my knowledge has ever aspire for either of the 2 mass political parties. But I think it is an idea whose time has come, not just because I am a woman, but because I have invested my time, my energy, my dedication into this party and I care very deeply about the People's United Party. Not just as an opposition, but as a potential future administration of the country and so I think  the time has come to think a little bit outside the box, think radically and think of the party leader as somebody who is concern for the next two years. Because that's what it will be until there is another national convention to focus on the direction that the party is taking, look at it, hopefully infused some energy and some revitalization into it because we constantly have to keep working and I don't think that that demands that I be in the house of representatives at this point. If I choose to continue to aspire to the job of the People's United Party leader, then yes. I would think that past the next convention I would have to make that decision and take that step. But at this point in time, my hope, my concern, my aspiration is to the best possible leader for the People's United Party and to work very closely with the leader of the opposition in reorganizing the party, refreshing and revitalizing it and of course I would want to remain in the senate as Leader of Opposition Business. Because I think I have the experience and the capacity to continue to be a strong voice."
Daniel Ortiz
"The persons who have come out as sort of the person to look at are all elected representatives and so one would make the assumption that that gives them an advantage. They already have support from the people and that they have a major role to play in the party as well."
Lisa Shoman, PUP Senator - Leader of Opposition Business
"I don't dispute any of that. However, as you know the leader of the People's United Party would be chosen by members of the People's United Party in a delegate's convention by secret ballots. So it would really be up to the individual members of the People's United Party who they wish to lead the People's United Party."
When we asked Shoman about her past failure as a politician, she told us that she is undeterred by that first unsuccessful attempt.
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