U.D.P. launches manifesto with call for political reform
It sprang to life on the back of a P.U.P. Cabinet revolt and subsequent revelations of serious financial mismanagement by the Musa administration. But even at the height of public discontent with Belmopan, the knock on the Opposition United Democratic Party was that it never said exactly how it would do things better. Today the U.D.P. sought to change that image and establish an identity as a party that is ready, willing, and able to take over the reins of government.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
For the first time since it revved up its campaign to bring down the Government of Prime Minister Said Musa, this morning the United Democratic Party officially launched its electoral manifesto, this week highlighting the party?s plans for what it calls genuine political reform..
In a document called the ?U.D.P.?s Commitment to Good Governance?, Leader of the Opposition Dean Barrow outlined a twelve point reform package. The U.D.P. recommendations include constitutional changes to make it possible that for ?good and sufficient reason? the Prime Minister can be impeached and removed from office, and the electorate ?can demand and vote for the recall of any elected official or the entire government of the day?. A new U.D.P. government would enact an ?unjust enrichment law?, legislation to more easily call a referendum and give official boards of inquiry greater powers to subpoena witnesses.
According to Dean Barrow, such institutional changes are integral to good governance.
Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
?The referendum act says that a referendum is held on an issue when the executive decides. That is nonsense. And that?s what the P.U.P. is good at, to suggest that they are going down the reform road, but then when you look at what is actually produced and at their actions, it completely gives the lie to what they are saying.?
?The only other time there can be a referendum in this country is when the ruling party, when the executive decides. That is reform? The Senate, there had to be a special dispensation to allow the Senate even to proceed with the investigation into S.S.B., and as things now stand, I am telling you, the Senate has no power to summon Troy Gabb, to summon Mr. Glenn Godfrey, none what so ever. That is reform? No, no. We are proposing arrangements under which ih no wah be as a result of any generosity on the part of the executive; it will be as a result of the inherent power that the Senate will have that it determines when to hold an inquiry. And when it so determines, it will be armed as a matter of law to make that inquiry completely meaningful and successful.?
Barrow contends that, unlike the P.U.P. administration, such reforms will be the backbone of a new U.D.P. government. And while Barrow says the manifesto?s economic section will not be released for a few more weeks, he hinted that the U.D.P. can get the country out of the red, without new taxes.
Dean Barrow
?When it will forgive seventeen point nine million dollars in business tax, when it allow insiders to bring in private planes duty free, when as a matter of routine there are these discretionary exemptions conferred like manna from heaven on ruling party insiders; we have to think that if we tighten up on all that the collection of revenue on the basis of the current taxes will improve dramatically. We also feel that if we can restructure the foreign debt–and you saw Standard and Poors saying that in effect that can only happen with a U.D.P. government–if that happens so that the debt servicing decreases, then there is that much less tax revenue that you need to service your debt. To summarize, spending cuts: yes; tax increases: definitely and distinctly, no.?
Be it in the House of Representatives or on the streets of Belize City, the U.D.P. says it has moved a vote of no confidence on the Musa administration. But according to Barrow, it?s just a matter of time before the P.U.P. government self-destructs.
Dean Barrow
?The I.M.F. basically is telling you that these people are running out of money. The I.M.F. is telling you that they need to raise taxes again by July one. Now, I don?t see how the government can even begin to think that it would raise taxes by July one without going back to people for a new mandate. That clearly is not going to fly and I will leave it at that. So because of all that is happening, not just the pressure of the people for new elections, but the objective pressures being caused by the imminent financial collapse that government is facing, we have to feel confident that elections will be held sooner rather than later. At the latest, elections have to be by March of next year, when the municipal elections are due by law, the first Wednesday of March 2006 and when the government will have to present a new budget. If somehow they manage to skip and jump and avoid raising taxes by July one, there is no way they can avoid raising taxes in the next budget.?
But as the U.D.P. gears up its election machinery, the prospect of a third party, led by P.U.P. rebels Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde is threatening to throw a spanner in the works.
Dean Barrow
?I am aware, I think concerned would be far too strong a word. I don?t want to be unkind to those that are trying to go this route of a third party. All I will say is because they come from the belly of the beast; they might encounter some credibility problems. And I will leave it there.?
