Two experienced politicians battle in Dangriga
Tonight’s segment of “Elections ’98” takes a look at a constituency that more often than not features a hard fought battle for the hearts and minds of the voters: Dangriga.
Russell Garcia, U.D.P., Dangriga
“I have said all the while, the central issue is unemployment and we, the United Democratic Party and myself are about to break into that. We have been doing so for the last five years. We will continue to do so with a force provided by God and man, so we can solve our problems because that is the crucial issue: unemployment.”
Theodore Aranda, P.U.P., Dangriga
“The major ones are health, employment, education, the economy, such as tourism and particularly tourism, really. I’ve mentioned education, crime and the development of agriculture – an industrial base for Dangriga.”
Q: “So these are key issues for your campaign in Dangriga?”
Theodore Aranda
“Yes, those are extremely important issues for us.”
Q: “You’re going up against Dr. Ted Aranda, you both have been to the House of Representatives. What is the one thing you think that will take you over the hump and take you to Belmopan and leave Dr. Aranda in Dangriga?”
Russell Garcia
“I have a record of honesty, of public accounting and more of creativity. My leadership deals with thinking, with a vision so that those who work with me, those who organize with me, those who understand what I am all about, know that whatever we do is with the people, for the people and always for the people.”
Theodore Aranda
“There are two basic things: one is the past performance in which we have a record to show, things that we can actually show that we have done and in the future what we are presenting to the people. The manifesto that I am going to be releasing tonight in Dangriga, indicating the things that we are going to go into so that what we are doing is combining the past, the performance that is already proven and show that it’s there and the performance of the future which is built upon the past so that at least our people and country can develop and develop properly.”
Q: “Should the people of Dangriga vote for you and put you back in the House for another five years? What is the first thing you’re going to tackle when you go to Belmopan?”
Russell Garcia
“When I go to Belmopan, I will make sure that we will be able to negotiate with all, all, persons, individuals, institutions, companies who have that capacity to be able to establish companies, to make sure that our people have work. Put in schools to make sure we have the capacity to do better work, or the best possible work, and to make sure that all persons understand what work is all about.
Now the U.D.P. has made sure that realization, cooperation and collaboration is coming to all people and with that I will tell you that as God is above and as there is night and day, I will help my people in the coming election.”
Theodore Aranda
“Alright, Dangriga is in the manifesto. The things that I have pointed out to you but for the country. It’s a matter of working hard for the improvement of our country, for the international recognition of our country and the development of the nation as a whole. Of course there are the matters of the economy, there is the matter of health, but the other thing is consolidating the country into one unit so that we are talking about Belize rather than districts. We are talking about the nation, the construction and building of a people, rather than looking at isolated incidents within the country.”
Dr. Ted Aranda served as Minister of Health from 1989 to ’93 while Russell Garcia is presently Minister of Agriculture.
