United Democratic Party Partido Democrático Unido | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | UDP |
| Leader | [Shyne Barrow]https://amandala.com.bz/news/shyne-wins/https://lovefm.com/udp-holds-national-party-convention/ |
| Chairperson | Michael Peyrefitte |
| Deputy Leader | Beverly Williams |
| Vice Chairperson | Alberto August |
| Founded | 27 September 1973 |
| Merger of | National Independence Party People's Development Movement Liberal Party United Black Association for Development (partial) |
| Headquarters | Youth for the Future Drive,Belize City, Belize |
| Newspaper | The Guardian |
| Youth wing | Youth Popular Front |
| Ideology | Conservatism[1][2][3] |
| Political position | Centre-right[4][5] |
| Regional affiliation | Caribbean Democrat Union |
| Colors | Red |
| Seats in theSenate | 3 / 13 |
| Seats in theHouse | 5 / 31 |
| Council Control | 1 / 9 |
| Councillors | 6 / 67 |
| Party flag | |
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| Website | |
| www.udp.org.bz | |
TheUnited Democratic Party (Spanish:Partido Democrático Unido;[6][7]abbreviatedUDP) is one of the two major political parties inBelize. It is currently the main opposition party, having lost the2025 Belizean general election, after previously holding the government across three prior terms. Founded as a centre-right conservative party, the UDP is led by Interim LeaderHugo Patt, though his position is contested byTracy Taegar-Panton, who is already sworn in asleader of the opposition.
In 1973, political opposition in Belize was weak and the rulingPeople's United Party (PUP) had never lost a legislative election since its foundation. The main opposition parties, theNational Independence Party and thePeople's Development Movement met together with a new Liberal Party to consider forming an alliance to fight the PUP. The resulting merger formed the United Democratic Party on 27 September 1973. Controversially, a significant portion of theUnited Black Association for Development also voted to join the UDP upon foundation.[8]
The UDP's first electoral test was the1974 general election in which it fielded candidates nationwide except inCorozal District, where it supported candidates from theCorozal United Front. It won six seats, and was within 18 votes of winning three more. Former People's Development Movement headDean Lindo was subsequently named party leader. The party had success in municipal elections during the 1970s, but failed to defeat the PUP in the1979 general elections. Its representation in the House of Representatives dropped to five seats and party leader Lindo lost his seat toSaid Musa and was replaced as leader byTheodore Aranda. Despite internal divisions, the party retained control of three towns in the December 1981 municipal elections.
In late 1982, Aranda was removed as party leader and replaced byCurl Thompson, who would later be replaced by former Liberal Party leaderManuel Esquivel following a convention. In December 1983, the UDP wonBelize City Council election.
The party was victorious in the1984 general election, winning 21 of the 28 seats.[9] Esquivel became the first UDP member elected Prime Minister.[10] The party went on to lost power in the1989 elections, winning 13 seats to the PUP's 15.
For the1993 elections the party formed an alliance with theNational Alliance for Belizean Rights. The alliance won 16 of the 29 seats, with the UDP taking fifteen.[9] However, they were soundly defeated in the1998 elections as the PUP won 26 of the 29 seats, after which Esquivel was replaced by Barrow as party leader. The PUP remained in power following the2003 elections, in which the UDP only won seven seats. After ten years in opposition, the UDP won the2008 general elections, taking 25 of the 31 seats.[11]
In 2020, UDP Prime MinisterDean Barrow called for elections to take place inNovember 2020. This was during the globalCOVID-19 pandemic which had hit the country's economy hard. The pandemic, along with impacts ofHurricane Eta, caused significant voter discontent with the current government.[12] Ultimately, the UDP suffered one of the worst results in the party's history, winning only 5 of the 31 seats.
In the2025 Belizean general election, the party maintained the same number of seats.
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| Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Dean Lindo | 9,069 | 38.93% | 6 / 18 |  6 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1979 | 21,045 | 47.4% | 5 / 18 |  1 |  2nd | Opposition | |
| 1984 | Manuel Esquivel | 25,756 | 54.1% | 21 / 28 | 16 | 1st | Supermajority government |
| 1989 | 28,900 | 49.0% | 13 / 28 | 8 | 2nd | Opposition | |
| 1993 | 34,306 | 48.7% In alliance withNABR | 16 / 29 | 3 | 1st | Majority government | |
| 1998 | 33,237 | 39.41% | 3 / 29 | 12 | 2nd | Opposition | |
| 2003 | Dean Barrow | 45,376 | 45.57% | 7 / 29 | 4 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 2008 | 66,203 | 56.61% | 25 / 31 | 17 | 1st | Supermajority government | |
| 2012 | 64,976 | 50.37% | 17 / 31 | 8 | 1st | Majority government | |
| 2015 | 71,452 | 50.52% | 19 / 31 | 2 | 1st | Majority government | |
| 2020 | Patrick Faber | 42,724 | 38.61% | 5 / 31 | 14 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 2025 | Contested leadership | 37,328 | 29.79% | 5 / 31 | | 2nd | Opposition |
