Sedi Explains Government’s Push for a Yes Vote

Wilfred Elrington

Is the Referendum Unit’s education campaign being overshadowed by the United Democratic Party and government’s push for electors to vote ‘YES’ to the I.C.J.?  According to Foreign Minister Elrington, Belizeans are smart enough to know the difference between government’s position, as well as the U.D.P.’s stance on the pending referendum.  He says that the job of the Referendum Unit is independent of the propaganda that is being run by both organizations.

Wilfred Elrington, Foreign Minister

“What we have said as a party is that the United Democratic Party believes that we should get a yes vote, we should get a yes vote and the government, Cabinet has said that we would wish for a yes vote, but the party is separate from the Cabinet.  The Cabinet is separate from the Referendum Unit that is in fact conducting the education and the message coming from all three is different.  The party and government said yes, believe that we should go for a yes vote.  The Referendum Unit is simply doing an education campaign without the influence of government or of the party.  It’s a very neutral thing, simply the dissemination of information.  So the suggest that we are asking people for a yes vote is completely without basis.”

Isani Cayetano

“Doesn’t, however, the very bold position of the party and the government perhaps overshadows or supersedes, in a manner of speaking, the position or the task of the Referendum Unit.  Can you…”

Wilfred Elrington

“There is that underlying presumption that the Belizean people are not smart and can’t make up their own minds.  That is furthest from the truth.  Belizean people are very intelligent, very smart and they want to hear the basis upon which any decision is to be made.  So the fact that the government and the party may be in favor of a yes vote is not going to automatically sway the Belizean people.  Belizean people want to get the facts, the evidence and make up their own minds based on that, and that has been the history of Belizeans.  We make up our own minds after we have heard the facts.”