BELIZE-Rift within the opposition party widens.

BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC—The rift within the main opposition, the United Democratic Party (UDP), is widening. Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow and several others are filing an ex-parte application asking the High Court to immediately grant former chairman Mike Peyrefitte custody and possession of the party’s headquarters.

Barrow is fighting for the party’s leadership with Tracy Taegar-Panton, who heads a dissenting group that claims to be the legitimate leader.

Earlier this year, Barrow had written to the Speaker of the Parliament indicating that Taegar-Panton and at least two other legislators were no longer party members.

But she has since said she was elected leader at a special convention.

Last month, Police Commissioner Chester Williams said the police have no legal authority to determine who will occupy the headquarters and urged the factions involved to settle the matter in a court of law.

In the lawsuit filed against Taegar-Panton and others, the High Court is being asked to restore the previous state of affairs by granting Peyrefitte immediate custody and possession of the UDP headquarters.

It also requests an order allowing Barrow and the Central Executive Committee to immediately re-enter and take control of the headquarters and promptly remove Taegar-Panton and her executives from the building.

The applicants are asking for a declaration clarifying whether Barrow or Taegar-Panton is the party’s legitimate leader.

Barrow is also seeking a ruling that Taegar-Panton has no legal or trust-based authority to possess the UDP. He also wants declarations stating that Taegar-Panton cannot remove the claimants from the headquarters and that she unlawfully took control of the Guardian Newspaper and Wave Radio, organs of the UDP.

Meanwhile, the staff members at the Guardian newspapers say they have been assured that they will be receiving their salaries after claiming that Barrow had instructed a signatory not to sign the cheques.

“As a matter of fact…cheques were issued, and everybody and staff that needed to be paid was paid. The party leader(Taegar-Panton) maintains that position until our accounting systems are put in order, said Alfonso Noble, the newspaper’s editor.