B.P.P. Will Contest 25 Seats in Upcoming General Elections
Patrick Rogers
The newly-formed Belize Progressive Party formally registered its Belize City candidates during lunch today. The nomination of its wider membership took place simultaneously across the country. Short of the required aspirants needed to contest all thirty-one constituencies, the BPP proceeded as planned, entering the Complex Building with its exponents in tow. Political Leader Patrick Rogers touched on a range of issues, including the constitutional challenge by his former party Vision Inspired by the People.
Patrick Rogers, Political Leader, B.P.P.
“We have until four o’clock actually and although I had asked the other candidates to ensure that they have six, plus four alternates and everyone had ten people, last night I got calls from a couple of the candidates saying that they are down to three candidates or two solid. Well quite frankly, da wahn lotta different stories wi hyah that’s why I tried saying da noh just we the candidates need to be given respect. Six brave people that went upstairs with me to nominate me deserve all the credit in the world for having Belize having the option that we are giving them. So, da noh just di candidates we need to big up dehn six people weh no show no fear fi come and put dehn face on the camera to nominate our candidates at the B.P.P.”
Isani Cayetano
“Let’s get your position on the claim that has been filed by your former party, the VIP, with regards to the constitutional of Section Ninety, Subsection One [of the Constitution of Belize] and the existing disparity in the various constituencies. Where do you stand?”
Patrick Rogers
“Everything there we agree on but the thing is we disagree that this election result will be negated by wahn court hearing. I believe they will stand and that’s why we’re here with our candidates because we have to represent every time the bell rings.”
Isani Cayetano
“Now in terms of the momentum of your party coming into nomination day, what have you been hearing from your other candidates across the country?”
Patrick Rogers
“You know, we said five weeks was a lot of time because we understand that the political climate changes day to day, week to week, and we all understand that the psyche of the voter understands that we do have options. We have more than three quarters of the house now as an option, so we could get wahn full mandate if they so choose. But certainly the results have been unlike anything we’ve ever felt eena di fifteen going on twenty years we’ve been in the independent movement so we have to believe the results wahn be impressive and we do expect wahn couple major upsets along di way.”
Isani Cayetano
“Three weeks remaining, what is the mood in terms of being on the ground, in terms of your particular constituency and the vibe you’re getting from candidates contesting the respective constituencies?”
Patrick Rogers
“Whenever I go to someone expecting to apologize for taking so long to reach them they’re like, “Well, we see the campaigners of the other two candidates but we don’t even see the candidates so it’s encouraging to know that they are not doing their work. They are taking the voters for granted that they figure dehn wahn just vote on color and then you have wahn real threat now where di green machine di roll right. So we like the fact that they are not doing what they are supposed to do.”
