Third parties, independents prepare for battle
Their appearance at Mahogany Street may not have been accompanied by all the hoopla of the major parties but this morning a number of independent and third party candidates plunked down under their two hundred dollar deposits at Mahogany Street. News Five’s Marion Ali was there to greet them.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The first candidate to arrive at the Elections and Boundaries Department Belize City office at around nine thirty was Jorge Ernesto Babb, founder of the National Reality Truth Creation Party. The somewhat eccentric candidate is contesting in the Freetown Division against incumbent, P.U.P’s Francis Fonseca and U.D.P’s Michael Peyrefitte.
Jorge Ernesto Babb, N.R.T.C.P., Freetown
“I could take the people to the water but I can’t mek them drink. And if they decide to choose Barabbas again I have a big business in Cuba where I’m going to live in Cuba and I’m going to write three books there about Belizeans, their characteristics and the way how they think.”
The next was the National Reform Party’s Gary Lambey who is running in the Lake Independence area.
Gary Lambey, N.R.P., Lake Independence
“Okay, I think I’ve done my work so my chances is very optimistic. I believe that elections are won on elections day like the great Musa would have said, but I believe people want a change so I’m here for that change so the chances very good for me.”
Closer to eleven o’clock the Vision Inspired by the People, accompanied by their supporters bearing flags and banners, marched their way into the compound. Their candidates for Collet, Port Loyola and Lake Independence, namely: Erwin X, Patrick Rogers, and Joseph Martinez, were sure that they will be more than just spoilers come election day.
Erwin X, V.I.P., Port Loyola
“I’m as confident as hot as the sun, fourteen thousand and seventy-two degrees of heat. We know that we present with a vision, a spirituality with God and a direction fi change the leadership in this nation and empower wi people at the grassroots level and come right up. We want to change the face of the southside. We want tek wi people from the outside and develop wi nation the way it should have been done from 1981.”
Patrick Rogers, V.I.P., Collet
“Collet and Port looking very, very victorious, promising based on the support we’ve been receiving in the streets. We no have money to be airing T.V. ads or anything but what brother Erwin and myself have been doing is a lot of street works. If its just by support wi done win this thing but we do have an election day machinery weh might not be as good at mobilising that support to the polls and depending on how much mistakes we make, da first or second.”
Marion Ali
“Mr. Finnegan said in the last House Meeting that third parties da noh fi dis generation. Yoh really no gat wah chance. Weh you think?”
Patrick Rogers
“Mr. Finnegan is one of those elders of mine that I pray for and continue praying for until the they pass. I noh di pray fi deh dead sis, but our power is with the youths and why we are convinced that we will pull off some wins is because there are elders that are also with us.”
Marion Ali
“We’ve seen the trend over the years with third parties and independents. People seh dat deh have yoh back but really come election day they don’t. You really think you have the majority this time?”
Patrick Rogers
“You noh da like wah woman weh eena wah abusive relationship Belize. Ih haad to trust but that’s where it starts. We have to get the people to trust us. Our message is real, we are real and as such, if we build that trust with the voter population well all I could seh dat Belize will change when you the voter change.”
Marion Ali
“You joined this campaign late. Yoh think yoh have a strong chance?”
Joseph Martinez, V.I.P., Lake Independence
“The campaign dah wah horse of a different colour but I’ve always been working in the Lake. The only problem with me is that I was so busy working and I had to really take time out to campaign but it’s not like I just started to campaign. My people in Lake Independence know me. They know I walk the same streets they walk. They know I eat the same food that they eat. They know I sleep in the same condition they sleep in and that’s what count.”
Francine Meighan, who endorsed Patrick Rogers, and Cherrymae Flowers, who supports Joseph Martinez, both feel voters should consider their V.I.P. candidates.
Francine Meighan, supporter for Patrick Rogers
“Supporting Mr. Patrick Rogers for Lake because he’s a supporting guy, he work for the poor, he helps the poor and he’s there for the poor. V.I.P.”
Cherrymae Flowers, supporter for Joseph Martinez
“They are very serious about what they are doing.”
Marion Ali
“What makes you think that?”
Cherrymae Flowers
“Because I’ve been around them for some time now and I’ve seen what they’ve done and what they’ve been doing.”
On a sad note, V.I.P. aspirant for Belize Rural Central, fifty year old Donna Myers of Gales Point, passed away on Friday. Late this afternoon, however, his son, twenty-four year old Brendon Myers, stepped up to take his father’s place. The late Donna Myers will be buried in Gales Point on Saturday.
