Tracy Panton has made history as the first woman to lead a major political party in Belize, taking the reins of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and becoming the first woman to head either of the country’s two major political parties.
Panton was officially sworn in on Monday as Party Leader and now also holds the position of Leader of the Opposition — a milestone moment described by supporters as a turning point for the party. Her ascent marks a dramatic shift from last October, when internal tensions peaked at a time “ripe and turbulent under the proverbial red tent.” Celebrations erupted yesterday at UDP Leadership Swearing‑In Event, attended by party members, political observers and the wider public.
But behind the applause, Panton stressed the heavy work ahead: reunifying and rebuilding the party’s national reach.
Speaking candidly after the ceremony, Panton described the moment as “bittersweet,” acknowledging the loss of her husband Herbert Panton and her renewed optimism for the party’s future.
In a statement, she said: “It’s a bittersweet day for me. It definitely is because you know my heavenly angel is not here and he was obviously a big part of me getting involved in politics and really big part of doing the work that I have done so you know it’s hard for me not to have him beside me. I’m really excited for our party that finally we can reset. I have been tested and tried for sure. I think that people know that I will lead with integrity and with heart. The first job that we have before us is to unite the party. And to unite the party we have to be all inclusive. We have to include the northern region, we have to include the western region, we have to include the southern region and we have to include the central region and we have to include the central region and that’s what I set out to do. The work is now only beginning and so there’s a lot that we have to sort out. We have our shadow cabinet to appoint, we have our central executive committee to appoint. We have to resestablish ourselves at the headquarters. I will be having a press conference this week so that I can update our media partners on our first 100 days what we intend to do, how we intend to do it but it’s about getting to work, rolling up my sleeves, putting on my boots getting in the trenches.”
Panton’s rise comes a decade into her political career. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2015, serving as Albert’s Area Representative.
