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But, as the old saying goes, the winner takes it all - and today, Faber came to work looking spiffy in a pinstripe suit. We saw it when he strode into the Sir Edney Cain building for the Cabinet meeting - and two hours later when he came out, we asked him about it.

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, its a very hot day and you are in a very warm suite. What's the occasion?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"Well as you know I'll be sworn in this afternoon as the country's new DPM. So it is a special day."

Jules Vasquez
"Was there any special notice of this given in the cabinet room? I don't know how its arranged, that the Deputy Prime Minister sits on the right hand side of the Prime Minister or how does it work?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"No, there is no special seating arrangements in the cabinet."

Jules Vasquez
"However, are you acknowledge in the cabinet as the Deputy Prime Minister?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"Yes, of course."

Jules Vasquez
"And how did that go down? We know that there are at least 11 ministers who campaigned very vigorously against you."

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"Well as I indicated from last week, the Prime Minister did note that he would be gazzeting the appointment of myself as the Deputy Prime Minister and that has been done."

And so it's Gazette…and so two hours after we spoke to him Faber went over to the Governor General's residence to be officially sworn in. Now, this was not a low key event - in fact, the place was full to the hilt with Faber supporters. We usually only encounter such a big crowd when an entire cabinet is being sworn in, but Faber brought out all his key core supporters to witness the occasion:...

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"It's a great feeling. I've said this is something that I worked towards all of my life. I am a UDP from way back. I've given almost a quarter of a century to serving this party and for me, like I've said to people, the Deputy Prime Minister's ship is a kind of consultation. The bigger prize for me is being the deputy leader of the party, because I want to work so hard to organize things to make sure that we have a 4th consecutive term."

Jules Vasquez
"Is it now an inevitability that you will be the prime minister of Belize when Prime Minister Dean Barrow steps aside shortly before the next election?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"Well I will tell you why I am confident that that will be the case, because in this position as deputy party leader, I intend to work, I intend to not sit on my hands and I intend to make sure that all who are concern in the party who will have any say in what goes on when the leadership race comes around, they will be certain that I am the better person - I am the best person, because I will work and that as I've always said to people is not just talk on my part. If you check my record you will see that that is the case."

Jules Vasquez
"Is there clarity on what that process is and will there be another convention?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"Well yes. According to what we agree to on March 20th in Dangriga, there will be a convention in January of 2020. But as you know that is not necessarily - it doesn't have to be a contested convention and I am hoping that after all that I will do in collaboration with others in the party of course are after the same goal that I am after to win those 2020 general elections - that there will be no question and in fact when we get to that point it will be uncontested."

Jules Vasquez
"Now, how will you move ahead without 11 ministers who opposed you in the convention without their support and if you are ever given the mantle of prime ministership just even as a transient period, how can you ever lead with 11 members of cabinet against you?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"You know Jules, you are pushing that issue. I am positive that you asked me a little while ago when I exited the cabinet room and you asked about my colleagues and I told you that all was well. They all accept that I am the new deputy leader of the party. They all accept that I am now the new deputy prime minister of the country and in fact things have improved tremendously from last week when you were camped out in front of the cabinet room as well and I expect that things will continue. If there is anything, you persist that there is still something under the surface, I am telling you that by the time we get to that 2020 convention, there will not be that kind of feeling at all."

Jules Vasquez
"You agree that only 3 ministers are here though?"

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"It was a short notice. In fact I called many of them to invite last night and some of them I didn't get to. It was only in cabinet this afternoon or at midday that I extended the invitation to them and I am pleased for those who came. But not because they are not here that means, that they did not support."

Jules Vasquez
"Your critics might say that this is a circus. The deputy prime minister isn't sworn in man, you have taken an oath of office already when you became a minister of cabinet. You just have a different assignment."

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"Well it is a wonderful day when a person becomes a deputy prime minister. No matter what was the event that brought us here. I will tell you that I need no ceremony or I need no kind of title to work, but it is a time for those who did support me, my friends, my family, my supports, the people who worked so hard over the last 3 months to get me to this position. This is a time for them really to celebrate."

Jules Vasquez
"Will you be seeking other portfolios now that you are a senior minister, a portfolio larger than education? Although that's large in terms of the budget."

Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"I can't believe that question. You know as well as I know that I have no such authority, that in fact it is the Prime Minister who designates portfolios and I will be blunt with you, the only other portfolio that I would want I can't get until 2020 and so I'm quite satisfied with where I am now."