Third Party’s Top Brass Condemn “Low” Political Tactics

Lara says she is disappointed by the incident, but her bosses at the B.P.P. are furious. Political leader Patrick Rogers told us via telephone this evening that the larger political parties are afraid of the Progressives as a viable political force and so have successfully poached candidates away previously. It is another symptom of what he calls rule by Her Majesty’s Government, which the B.P.P. hopes to eradicate. Wil Maheia, the party’s general in Toledo, was less sanguine: it is as low a political move, he said, as he has ever seen.

On the Phone: Patrick Rogers, Political Leader, B.P.P.

“It is something that I keep telling you we keep facing: we would recruit good candidates, the parties come and buy them off, make it look like we can’t recruit. But a lot a wi people fold; Miss Lara was strong enough to not fold. And I can tell you who: da Juliet Thimbriel and Leila Peyrefitte deh down deh as the City generals down deh di try buy off wi people dem da P.G.; wi strongest slate da P.G. So welcome to weh wi face; da wah uphill fight a deh ina; I’m prepared to get through my generation and look to the next generation before the win come. But we noh di give up. Every election we will have candidates and it will be up to the people if they want real change. Because P.U.P. and U.D.P. Prime Ministers are Her Majesty’s Prime Ministers; the B.P.P. wants to lead this country, not rule on behalf of Her Majesty. All our candidates understand that.”

On the Phone: Wil Maheia, Deputy Leader, B.P.P.

“After Belize signed UNCAC and all those agreements, we are dismayed at the U.D.P.’s behavior, how they are operating in Punta Gorda Town. If they wanted to provide scholarship money then open it to the public; don’t try and buy people’s candidate. It’s low, as low as they can ever get.”

Maheia confirmed that Lara had paid her fifty-dollar fee to register as a B.P.P. candidate today, and will be officially nominated tomorrow, Wednesday, in Punta Gorda.