PM Barrow and Julius Espat Exchange Blows in the House for the Final Time
Julius Espat
Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Cayo South area representative Julius Espat have almost at every Sitting of the House of Representatives exchanged blows, and it got so bad, that Espat was once carried out of the National Assembly by police officers. At today’s sitting, there was some form of civility between both, but then it went downhill. As sparks flew across the aisle, Espat called the PM a pathological liar.
Julius Espat, Area Rep., Cayo South
“We have shown the people in Belize in every possible way how a government should not be run and the U.D.P. has shown the people that they are master of specifically that. They are the masters on how not to run a government that is accountable, transparent and that has a respect for the rule of law. But enough said Madam Speaker when it pertains to that. Secondly Madam Speaker some people might think that your role in this House might not be pleasing to them but in my specific case I would like to say probably your appointment was the only positive thing that he has done in his eight years. I applaud him for appointing a professional, a woman, a U.D.P. supporter but somebody that has been fair with me. I mean you would not have been there if you were not a UD supporter. Let’s be real. I don’t consider him my enemy. I consider him my opponent, and in this case my past opponent. So as the representative of peasant and a peasant himself I would tell the Prime Minister, let’s rumble in the jungle. Call the thing boss. Let us deal with it one time and for all. We in Cayo South, we are ready to rumble.”
Dean Barrow
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“I am flabbergasted, pleased but flabbergasted. You were extremely calm; extremely rational. You even made clear that you do not consider me your enemy. Did I hear you actually say you consider me a friend? If we are friends then I would want to offer to do something for you. First of all to say I am every glad that you conducted yourself in almost a statesman fashion this evening because we have grown accustomed to having to wonder depending on the particular house meeting which member for Cayo South will show up. You know that there are times when you behave in an almost lunatic fashion in terms of your angry outbursts. But the reason I say that is merely to underline the concerns I have for you since we are now friends. I look at something. The Harvard School of Public Health concluded that outbursts of anger increase the risks of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular problems especially in the two hours immediately following the incident. I am glad because you will not die in the next two hours because you did not behave like that today. But how comes when you did it before nothing happened to you. I think you are a rare and special creature. So what I want to do is to, I will not give up my pension but I will start a collection and I will make the first donation. I want us to take up a collection to send you to Harvard. Not to study but to Harvard Public Health so that they can examine and find out how it is that notwithstanding their scientism conclusions that when you behave in the way that you normally behave that you have a heart attack and that it does not happen to you. I personally want you to go to Harvard and I will help to find the money to send you.”
Julius Espat
“I think there is a clarification here. And the Prime Minister tried to call me his friend but I think that is wish that he will never attain. Anyway there is a medical condition too Madam Speaker. It is called pseudologia fantastica.”
Today’s sitting is likely the last for the retiring three-term Prime Minister after decades in the House.
