Kareem Musa Explains Selection of Delegates for China Visit
A delegation of Belizean politicians, including Caribbean Shores Area Representative Kareem Musa and Deputy Mayor Oscar Arnold, returned from a visit to Mainland China over the weekend. While they may not have gotten official permission to travel in their respective capacities as members of the People’s United Party, the trip has managed to stir political controversy. The purpose of the visit, as well as the invitation and sponsorship, is being called to question by the United Democratic Party which has since issued a release criticizing Musa. In a Q and A session with Musa on Tuesday, he segued to an issue that continues to gain traction within the P.U.P. that is the appearance that the Taiwanese government has been providing direct financial assistance to private U.D.P. initiatives. He begins by explaining the composition of the contingent.
Reporter
“How were the members of the delegation chosen?”
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Area Representative, Caribbean Shores
“In terms of Oscar Arnold and Michael Noralez, I was informed by Mr. Ou, the President of the Belize Chinese Association that he would, they would be joining the contingent. They had asked me if I would recommend anybody to go on the trip and I did recommend Mr. Kevin Arthurs. So he was somebody that I recommended that they accepted, so it was myself, Kevin Arthurs, Mr. Chippy Noralez and the deputy mayor.”
Reporter
“Returning now to the Taiwanese and the relationship that has been developing, I know that the P.U.P. has in fact criticized the assistance that’s been provided by the Taiwanese to some, I’m going to say some private projects, they could be considered private, one of them being the building getting funded for the honorable Tracy Taegar Panton. I know that the P.U.P. has had an issue with some of the funding and how that’s being addressed or doled out by the Taiwanese…”
Kareem Musa
“I think that you are definitely hitting a topic that is commonly discussed within the People’s United Party. I would want to personally say that I don’t necessarily subscribe to the view that they are giving money and providing assistance to the United Democratic Party directly. I would not want to believe that but there is that discussion within the party that the assistance that Taiwan has been recently giving, been providing to the government of the day is somewhat political. It is somewhat blatant. So there is that discussion and like I said, I wouldn’t want to subscribe to that belief that that is taking place but it hasn’t been this blatant for quite some time.”
