P.U.P. Wants Old Capital Scalp; U.D.P.’s Target Orange Walk
John Briceño
With just five seats to their name countrywide, any wins for the People’s United Party will be counted a success for party leader John Briceño. But the P.U.P. believes they have a serious shot in the Old Capital, which last voted a P.U.P. City Council fifteen years ago, in 2003. To reverse the red tide, Briceño says the P.U.P. will be on the ground spreading its message of change. But Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Deputy Patrick Faber are just as sure that the United Democratic Party is on safe ground in its City strongholds, especially on the Southside. And the U.D.P. leaders say their focus is on retaining all of their seats and undercutting the P.U.P. in Briceño’s native Orange Walk.
John Briceño, P.U.P. Party Leader
“It’s a ground campaign. We cannot fight the U.D.P. with money; we are fighting them with love, with good ideas, great candidates, and hard work. We have been on the ground visiting every day. The U.D.P., they have not been doing that because they can’t visit the people; because that’s when the people attack them and tell them of the foolishness and the bad ideas, bad decisions that they have made. I believe we are going to do well in Belize City; I believe that Bernard stands a very good chance of being the next Mayor of Belize City – actually in my heart I believe he’s going to win. We believe that we’re going to win Belize City. At the end of the day it is the decision of the people of Belize City, but we are going to work hard, we are going to give it our all; we are going to show them the love and the appreciation that we have for them and we are going to point out to them that this City Council, Belize City our team is about the people, not about the projects.”
Isani Cayetano
“In terms of the national campaign going into March seventh, what are we looking at in terms of the people giving the U.D.P. its vote?”
Patrick Faber
Patrick Faber, Deputy Party Leader, U.D.P.
“I believe it will be countrywide, even Orange Walk we’re not giving up and I know that Minister Aragon and honorable Vega are pounding the pavement there because we’re not giving into any. We’re going to gun for all sixty-seven seats. I think the people of this country understand that we’re not a perfect entity but we are the best option and we are the viable option for Belize City, we’ve proven that and so they will give us their support once again in these municipal elections countrywide.”
Isani Cayetano
“If you were to measure the temperature of the United Democratic Party going into March seventh, how would you rate it at this point?”
Dean Barrow
Dean Barrow, Party Leader, U.D.P.
“It’s extremely high. There is, you see what’s happening behind us. All the talk about voter fatigue and disenchantment and disgruntlement, I am sure that there are some elements of validity to that kind of thinking but it cannot displace, it cannot overcome the fact of the outstanding track record that the United Democratic Party has in Belize City and indeed countrywide and that is what I think we’re seeing today and what I am certain we’ll see on March seventh.”
