P.U.P. brings big guns to Cayo South campaign
It was among the closest races in the March general elections, and in the by-election to be held in Cayo South at the end of the month, neither party is conceding anything. Over the weekend News 5’s Patrick Jones accompanied People’s United Party candidate Joaquin Cawich as he campaigned with some powerful company…and files the following report.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
The P.U.P.’s push for the Cayo South seat in the House of Representatives officially started on Sunday, but the incumbent party’s candidate, Joaquin Cawich, has been on the campaign trail for over a month now. Flanked by Prime Minister Said Musa and Attorney General Godfrey Smith, Cawich braved the mid-morning heat to touch bases with some of the people he is counting on to send him to Belmopan.
Joaquin Cawich, P.U.P. Cayo South Standard Bearer
“This election is very important for the People’s United Party, and its very important for me because it shows that we can have continuity in the system. We need to ensure continuity in the system at whatever, at the benefit of the people. And the people we know are most interested in development of their area, and with me as the area representative, as a P.U.P. candidate and with the backing of a P.U.P. government, we can deliver for the Cayo South constituency. We can deliver those needs that the people have.”
And those needs were spelt out for the Prime Minister, who apart from pressing the flesh with residents of Valley of Peace, Camalote and Belmopan, took time to hear their views on issues affecting them.
Said Musa, Leader, People’s United Party
“The response was very encouraging. In the Valley of Peace in particular, it’s overwhelming support I believe for him, for the party. And also in the villages along the highway, Camalote and so on where I went today. But I wouldn’t want to sense or sound any note of jubilation or triumphalism, because I believe elections are won on election day. And the message I tried to convey today is that we have to work and deliver the seat on election day, October twenty-ninth. But yeah, people have concerns. Some of the things they raised with me: they want expansion of electricity, expansion of their water systems, they want better roads to their farms, feeder roads, those were the main concerns expressed to me today and also housing. There is still the demand for rural housing.”
Joaquin Cawich
“Our P.U.P. family that is out there gets the job done because they have leadership. They display fine leadership. They are organised, they are committed to the cause and they are hard workers.”
While he sounds like a seasoned politician, this former diplomat knows that it will take more than just fancy speeches to land him the seat his father won in two successive elections. But Cawich says that if he is successful at the polls on October twenty-ninth, it will be because of the platform he is running on.
Joaquin Cawich
“Issues I am campaigning on are basically infrastructure, education, home security. We’re campaigning also on sports and youths, activities for them, and we’re also campaigning for the empowerment of youths and empowerment of women, human development. Those are the issues I am campaigning on.”
Said Musa
“This is not just a contest between two people, one red and one blue. This is something much more meaningful than that.”
Prime Minister Musa in launching the campaign, called for unity to ensure that Cayo South remains blue.
Said Musa
“Cayo South needs a representative who is with the programme and who can carry out the plan of action.”
Patrick Jones
“How important is the Cayo South constituency to the People’s United Party?”
Said Musa
“Very important. Cayo South happens to be the area where we have our nation’s capital. It’s a very productive part of our country. It’s an area where we see a beautiful development of a multiculturalism taking place, and I think it’s also the largest constituency in the country. It’s very important from the point of view of us carrying out the agenda that we were elected to do in 2005.”
With the campaign now on in earnest, Cawich says there can be no turning back. And while he won’t be able to meet with every one of the over eight thousand, six hundred registered voters, the thirty-two year old says he will try to live up to standard set by his father. That is putting the people just a handshake away from their representative. Patrick Jones, for News 5.
Next week Patrick Jones will hit the campaign trail with U.D.P. candidate John Saldivar.
