A little over six months in office and the governing United Democratic Party is at war. This war is not being waged against previously declared enemies like the PUP or Ashcroft-affiliated companies or even the country’s productive sector. The UDP is at war with itself.

Last weekend, the UDP civil war spilled into the streets of Belmopan as John Saldivar battled to remove the sitting UDP Mayor Simeon Lopez from the 2009 slate. There were no nuances to Saldivar’s campaign: he sought to impose a pliant stooge on the UDP voters of the capital city. Saldivar summoned the support of fellow Ministers Patrick Faber and Anthony Martinez, among others, in his naked grab for control of the Belmopan cookie jar. Despite the tactics of intimidation and vote-buying, Saldivar’s candidate was rejected by a majority of Belmopan’s UDP voters.

The sitting UDP Mayor in Corozal Hilberto Campos had to call in reinforcements from Ministers Pablo Marin, Gabriel Martinez, Manuel ‘Junior’ Heredia and Area Representative Nemencio Acosta in order to fight off the formidable challenge of his Deputy Mayor Luis Brooks. Campos, whose unofficial offices are said to be at the Las Vegas Casino, commandeered Town Board resources to induce voters while his Ministerial allies leveled every threat in the proverbial political book to save Campos’ skin. Campos survived but now the UDP is split right down the middle after this dirty war for control of the Corozal cookie jar.

The mother of all cookie jar battles is taking shape in Belize City, where incumbent UDP Mayor Zenaida Moya will face her upstart Deputy Mayor Anthony Michael in an October 5 convention. Moya, to say the least, has not endeared herself within the UDP ranks. She accused Boots Martinez of corruption on national TV, slapped down her own Councilors for incompetence and just this week, blew the whistle on Minister Manuel Heredia’s hard pay BTB. Moya claims that the move against her is by the ‘sticky fingers’ wing of the UDP who seek control of Belize City’s cookie jar.

Outbreaks of municipal hostilities are also reported in Dangriga, San Pedro, Punta Gorda and Benque Viejo del Carmen as fierce internecine struggles occur to replace sitting UDP Mayors and Councilors.

Then there are the national wars raging within the UDP. Carlos Perdomo was humiliated by Sedi Elrington’s brother Hubert during Perdomo’s appearance on Krem TV last week. Hubert denounced Perdomo’s performance as Police Minister and said he deserved to be fired. Hubert’s outburst comes on the heels of Sedi spanking his own DPM Gaspar Vega for his handling of the Lands Department. Boots Martinez and Housing Minister Michael Finnegan are at each other’s throat over who will get to spend the recently-returned Venezuelan cookie jar. Melvin Hulse and Arturo Roches are in constant combat in Stann Creek.

Perhaps the most sensational fissure in the UDP though is the renewed rivalry between Foreign Minister and Attorney General Sedi Elrington, on the one hand, and Prime Minister Dean Barrow on the other. Sedi has recently appointed himself as the peace envoy in government’s battle with Michael Ashcroft, criticizing openly his own PM’s handling of this ultimate cookie maker. According to news reports this week, Barrow was forced to include Sedi in negotiations with Ashcroft, a concession that reflects Barrow’s weakened standing.

While the outcome of the cookie jar wars may favor select UDP Mayors, Councilors and Ministers, they are ominous for the vast majority of Belizeans. This is the time of year most stressful for mothers and fathers as they scramble and scrape to meet the skyrocketing costs of getting their children in school. Instead of working together to ensure that this crushing burden of school fees is reduced, the leaders in UDP governments, municipal and national, are jostling for positions and diverting precious public resources to their party conventions.

Most lamentable about this UDP infighting is the absolute lack of any philosophical or policy difference between the warring factions. Neither Moya nor Anthony has articulated any vision for a modern Belize City. Neither Boots nor Finnegan fight from any position of conscience. The UDP are so obviously devoid of soul and direction that they must expend their energies on catfights and wrestling matches simply to determine who will be the gatekeeper to the cookie jars. Thus, the cookie jar wars of 2008 rage on.