And so Faber's ascension is confirmed, but is all well in Cabinet? We know that in the immediate aftermath of the convention there were very many ruffled feathers in the political directorate - and rumours of a Cabinet mutiny in the making. It never happened - but it has been widely reported that the disgruntled ministers who did not support Faber did put a list of cabinet and party ultimatums to the Prime Minister. They form the majority in Cabinet, while Faber only had three ministers supporting him. A week has passed and passions have subsided, but is the rift healed? That's what we asked today:...
Jules Vasquez
"Mr. Finnegan, you have served in multiple cabinets under Mr. Esquivel."
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Party Whip
"Five."
Jules Vasquez
"Great. Sir, explain to me what was the mood in there like when we have a new deputy prime minister? It doesn't happen very often in the term of the life of a government."
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Party Whip
"I told you that convention ship already sailed. That is behind all those people up there."
Jules Vasquez
"So the prevailing sentiment and the mood in that room was cool? No ill will, no residual ill will or hard feelings?"
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Party Whip
"I didn't see any. If I had seen any, I would have told you. I surely didn't see any."
Jules Vasquez
"But there is still post-convention trauma in the UDP. Look at Belize Rural Central, we'll see that Mr. Faber had to hire somebody that Miss Bev fired - that sort of thing."
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Party Whip
"Jules, I don't know who fired hired, who Miss Bev fired. I won't get into that. I don't have time for frivolities man. I have time to work and move the country and move the interest of the people I represent forward. But to deal with petty politics and small minded politics, I don't have time for that."
Jules Vasquez
"After you left last week, there was a meeting of another group with the Prime Minister. The group largely of those minister who opposed your ascension, your election at the convention. Is there any residual ill will? Are these ultimatums, will they be met, the ultimatums that they put to the Prime Minister?"
Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"I will say this, in our meeting this morning it was very smooth, it was very calm, there was no mention of any kind of ultimatum. All is well in the UDP. Let's leave it at that."
Jules Vasquez
"On the surface at least."
Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"No, all is well."
Reporter
"As a senior minister, were you disappointed to learn about that post-cabinet meeting that took place last week where one of the demands was to not make Minister Faber the Deputy Prime Minister?"
Hon. Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism
"Well I don't know... everybody has a right to do what they want. I have not even try or bother to see what was discussed or what not. All that I know that Faber has won and it is time to move forward. He will be sworn in today as the Deputy Prime Minister and we need to unite now."
We were unable to get an interview with any of those ministers who opposed Faber.
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