Jorge Espat will not contest general election

The People’s United Party took a direct hit today as another party member submitted his resignation letter to leader Said Musa. Freetown Area Representative Jorge Espat, has decided not to contest next year’s general election. According to a government press release, during a meeting with the Prime Minister, Espat said that he would continue to endorse “the philosophy, goals and work of the People’s United Party” and refers to his “confidence that the people of Freetown would return a P.U.P. representative to the House in 2003.” The press release quoted Espat’s letter of resignation as saying that “The P.U.P. Freetown Committee and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the government for the support and resources given to the Freetown constituency over the past four years.” This latest resignation appears to have been made fairly recently because as late as October twentieth the Freetown Committee was running re-election ads in local newspapers. News 5’s attempts to get comment from the man himself were unsuccessful, but reliable sources tell us the decision was quote “painful” end quote. The date for a constituency convention to elect a new standard bearer for the Freetown division has yet to be set. Espat disappeared into political seclusion last year after his now famous police passing out speech in which he lambasted the government for charges of corruption and ineffective policies. He later gave up his ministerial portfolios, but stayed on as area representative for Freetown. The back bencher is now the fourth member of the People’s United Party to decline contesting elections next year. In August of this year, Minister of Works Henry Canton announced that due to instabilities in the citrus industry, he would not seek re-election. He has since been hired as the Chief Executive Officer for Citrus Products of Belize Limited. A month later, in September, Minister Daniel Silva decided to follow suit, and will end his political career next year. Silva says he plans to devote his time to his family’s hotel and photography businesses. And just this week, the P.U.P.’s San Pedro Mayor, Alberto Nunez, has decided to throw in his political towel to make way for a younger servant of the people. The recent onslaught of resignations has the P.U.P.s perched precariously as they prepare for municipal and general elections next year.