P.U.P. Says It Will Participate in Christmas Cheer Program

Francis Fonseca

The People’s United Party will participate in Government’s Christmas Cheer program, funded with Petrocaribe monies. That announcement by the Party’s Secretariat has been met with raised eyebrows in some quarters, since the P.U.P. has been the most vocal and vehement when it comes to the disbursement of the “Roll It” money. News Five asked P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca about it when we had the opportunity over the weekend. According to Fonseca, of all the project disclosed and undisclosed being funded by Petrocaribe monies, this is the only accountable and transparent program. So at the risk of being considered hypocritical, the Party is comfortable participating in the Christmas Cheer program.

Francis Fonseca, Party Leader, P.U.P.

“We agreed that yes we would run the risk of looking—if you like—hypocritical on this issue. But we are very comfortable with the fact that of any of the programs that are financed under the Petrocaribe program, this is the most accountable one because no monies go to any of us as area representative and it is for a specific purpose; for providing toys, providing party bags, providing food to needy families in your constituencies. So what we do is prepare a list of those people, we then get an invoice to supply those people with food, toys and we submit that to the Ministry of Human Development. And the Ministry of Human Development directly pays those institutions. So there is no question of any monies handled by any representatives. So in my view, it is the only accountable and transparent program under the Petrocaribe monies, use of the Petrocaribe monies. So we felt very comfortable in making that available to our people. It is Christmas and our people deserve to participate in that program.”

U.D.P. area representatives will be receiving one hundred thousand dollars each, while the P.U.P. representatives will be getting between thirty and thirty-five thousand dollars.