PM Fires Back at Media After U.D.P.’s Credibility Questioned

Dean Barrow

Are political manifestos to be taken seriously? Are they more about politicians telling people what they want to hear, rather than a concrete plan of what can and will be done during a term? That’s a question which was put to U.D.P. leader Dean Barrow today, on an assertion that the U.D.P. has not fulfilled the promises of past manifestos before coming up with this new, fully loaded version. Barrow took offence.

Dean Barrow, U.D.P. Leader

“Which ones didn’t happen? You better enumerate that…”

Reporter

“Let me be specific…fifteen thousand house lots…”

Dean Barrow

“Who tell you that that neva happen? Weh you get yo…you went to the registry? To the Lands Department? You checked? This is anecdotal; this is your belief.”

Reporter

“Sir, unless we are presented with some audited…”

Dean Barrow

“No man, you are the one suggesting that the promise was…you provide me with, you furnish me with the evidence. I am telling you that it was.”

Reporter

“So you are saying it did happen?”

Dean Barrow

“…you furnish me with….”

Reporter

“So you are saying it did happen?”

Dean Barrow

“No sir. You said it didn’t happen. Two things…I am suggesting to you or I am asking you where is your evidence for that. And if you then want to say to me fine, leave that aside. You want to ask me can I say that it did happen, the answer is yes.”

Reporter

“Umm…also at that time, oil and oil refinery was promised. It was not in the manifesto; it was promised on the mic.”

Dean Barrow

“But Jules, I think we can go at this all day.”

Reporter

“Yes, yes.”

Dean Barrow

“We are saying—I don’t think I ever suggested that—every last little item in our last manifesto was completed. But I am telling you in terms of the bigger picture, in the main, we delivered on that manifesto. And if you want to get overly picky, I would suggest that you as well need to compensate; do point to some of the things that we have not done that were in the manifesto, but also point to the many things that we have done that were not even in the manifesto.”

Reporter

“I think yo have advertising people for that noh?”

Dean Barrow

“Yeah, including Channel Seven…always handsomely remunerated for their advertising, including from B.T.L.”

Reporter

“I think you’re…let’s stop.”