Controversial veteran takes on determined rookie in Lake I
He has been one of the most outspoken and controversial ministers in the last two U.D.P. governments. But Hubert Elrington, also known as the “unguided missile,” does not seem to mind the nickname and in fact takes pride in his maverick reputation. His young opponent, Cordel Hyde, while cultivating an image of quiet commitment and determination, comes from a family which is no stranger to the very public world of politics. Patrick Jones spoke to the two would be representatives of Lake Independence.
Cordel Hyde, P.U.P., Lake Independence
“Well, the biggest, issue for us has to do with jobs. You know, so many people are unemployed, can’t find work. Too many of our children who are qualified to work and have the age to work, too many of our adults who are over the age of thirty who can’t find work. So it’s the bread and butter issue.”
Hubert Elrington, U.D.P., Lake Independence
“My pet issue is that I don’t think we should allow our system to be taken over by the Espats and the Musas. We have enough people of our own to do our own ruling of our people. You know the fact that a small group of Belizean Arabs can even believe that they can take over our country, and take over a major political party like the P.U.P., is very presumptive in my view and I think we need to say to them that is not going to work.”
Q: “Cordel, it’s your first time at electoral politics at the national level. Do you think you have enough of the support of Lake Independence to beat Hubert Elrington?”
Cordel Hyde
“I think so. We have been working hard for the last four years. This is not the first time that we have been in the division. We have been there for four years. We got the support of the division for the City Council in ’96. I got the division of division twice in inter-party conventions, so I expect to get the support from the division in the general elections, come August twenty seventh.”
Q: “You’re a fairly successful politician. Your opponent is a rookie. What will put you one step ahead of him?”
Hubert Elrington
“Yeah, I think that people like mature people. They like that maturity. This guy is not only young, he is pretty immature. So I think, that is working against him a lot.”
Cordel Hyde
“Hubert Elrington, for one, believes in gutter politics. I think he believes in a politics that quite frankly Belize has gone past already. We are about the issues and about trying to create a better standard of living and making life better for residents of Lake I, as opposed to Elrington who prefers to daub mud all over my family name and try to carry me into the mud with him.”
Q: “And after the election what can the people expect from Hubert Elrington the representative?”
Hubert Elrington
“Well, I think we will have to consolidate what we have achieved. We have done the infrastructure work in terms of getting Lake Independence into good shape. We need to do some more streets, but after that is done, the next five years has to be devoted to improving our education, and improving the economic status of our people. Education and the economic status of our people, building on the human resource, this is what we’re going to be focussing on. The human resource, developing our people, both in terms of their education and in terms of their economic growth. Those are the two main things we need do very badly indeed.”
Cordel Hyde
“Where Lake I is concerned, we want to make Lake I the envy of other divisions. We think it has the potential. I was raised pretty poor, but I got the opportunity to get an education and make better for myself. A lot of the kids I know in the division, all they need is an opportunity. We must provide that opportunity. We must provide opportunity for all the kids on south side Belize City, for every young person who need a job or who needs an educational opportunity to better themselves, must provide opportunities for all those people who have been unable to work for the last five years.”
With over four thousand voters, Lake I is the second largest constituency in Belize City.
