P.U.P. presents manifesto; 29 candidates sign support
The conventional wisdom about this year’s election campaign is that it’s the nastiest in history, totally devoted to character assassination and devoid of any content even remotely dealing with how we should be governed. That may be the general attitude of the public, but today, with the unveiling of its five year manifesto, the People’s United Party demonstrated that at least somebody has been doing some homework… and that the campaign may yet be… “all about issues”. Patrick Jones reports.
After five years and one month in opposition Said Musa and the twenty-eight other P.U.P. candidates came to the Radisson to lay out their plans for Belize should they form the next government. The “Strike Three-Set Belize Free” manifesto of the People’s United Party, Musa says, is one that gives the people of Belize a real say in decisions that affect their lives.
Said Musa, Leader, P.U.P.
“Consider the very fact that the manifesto is a product of a long process of consultation by the P.U.P. First we consulted widely with people with expertise in the respective fields and presented our position papers in meetings and People’s Assemblies. No future government has ever been more concerned with consulting the people directly and getting their input for future policies and programs. We designed a plan, the people perfected it and the result is this manifesto.”
That manifesto recognizes that our current system of government has suffered some erosion in credibility.
Said Musa
“One of the terrible consequences of the past five years of the U.D.P. government’s abuse of power, is the great cynicism that affects so many, and especially among our young people. This distrust is not only of politicians, but also of our major democratic institutions, including parliament and the courts. The last five years have done more than anything else to weaken our people’s faith in democracy, and to threaten our democratic future.”
The way forward for, the P.U.P. leader says, is to stay in touch with the electorate; and these promises were enshrined in writing with a room full of witnesses.
Said Musa
“We realize that after all the U.D.P. broken promises people feel cheated and distrustful, and so we have distilled the more important programs in the manifesto and made them into a social contract with the people which all twenty-nine P.U.P. candidates will sign today before the nation. We ask the electorate to hold us to the terms of this morally binding contract and judge us on the basis of our performance.”
And that performance will be tested in a number of areas where the P.U.P. plans to make drastic chances, including, the economy, education and health, the judiciary and land distribution.
Said Musa
“The P.U.P.’s growth economics will encourage investment, stimulate economic activity and bring more revenue for development. By spending wisely and prudently and putting in place a fair system for generating revenue, we will achieve our goal of sustainable growth with low inflation, rising living standards and high levels of employment.
Let me be perfectly clear about this. We will abolish VAT as part of a comprehensive taxation reform in full consultation with business and civil society, in keeping with our objective to expand the economy and improve living standards for the many, not just the few.
The P.U.P. will give you 15,000 new jobs with just conditions for wages for workers. We know that the key to constructing a good society in which people can live in dignity and shoulder their responsibilities to their families and communities lies in creating an economy where everyone can be gainfully employed.
Our economic policies, whether in industry, agriculture or the services sector, are geared toward achieving that goal. Our massive national housing scheme, (yes we will ensure that 10,000 new homes are constructed) our infrastructural development projects and our new agriculture, tourism and industry programs will enable us to achieve the goal of 15,000 new jobs.
Agriculture and tourism will be the twin pillars of a new economic prosperity with the establishment of major new industries, expansion of export markets and dynamic growth in eco-tourism.
Central to our success will be our policies to restore investor confidence and to provide various credit and marketing facilities for our entrepreneurs, giving special attention to farmers, women, youth and small businesspersons. In our trade policies, we will defend the interests of our local producers and consumers. We will ensure cheaper water, electricity and telephone rates.
Educational facilities at all levels will be expanded countrywide. A concerted drive will be made to ensure that all school age children attend primary school and that every child regardless of family income will be able to attend secondary or vocational schools or receive skills training.
We will institute a school nutrition program for needy children and establish a national textbooks program to ensure that students are provided with basic textbooks. Schools specializing in the arts, music and sports will be promoted and every district will have a Centre for Employment Training.
We will allocate more resources to the health sector and focus on expanded primary health care, pre and post natal services, emergency treatment, including ambulance and mobile health services to rural and remote areas. All Belizeans will have access to quality hospital services through a National Health Insurance System.
Private enterprises and non-government organizations will also be encouraged to provide health services at all levels and given financial and other incentives. Hospital care for the needy and unemployed will be subsidized by government.
We will vigorously pursue measures for poverty reduction, housing job creation, education, skills training, sports and youth development. At the same time we will insist on individual responsibility for crime and will give full support to a reorganized and motivated police force, ensuring that more police officers are on the beat and on the block to prevent crime and apprehend criminals. The manifesto proposes many measures to deal with the crime situation and to strengthen the criminal justice system.
We will institute a comprehensive program of judicial reform to restore the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.
The P.U.P. will immediately, on assuming office initiate a process of consultation to establish a National Land Policy which will put in place effective mechanisms for land titles and land use.
We will end the political manipulation in the distribution of national lands and make conditions for development on leases environmentally and socially sensitive. We will assist needy farmers with the timely surveying of their lands, and ensure the provision of infrastructure prior to distribution of lots, including streets, drainage, water, electricity, etcetera.”
The speeding P.U.P. train, with team twenty-nine has left the station. Whether or not its next stop is in Belmopan is a decision that has nothing to do with the engineer but over ninety three thousand men and women with ballot papers on election day. Patrick Jones, for News Five.
Among the other commitments made in the P.U.P. manifesto were a pledge to build a national museum in Belmopan, create special enterprise zones to develop the Toledo District and other depressed areas, and to enact specific political reforms to reduce the size and power of Cabinet. The thirty-two page document will be distributed house to house by campaign workers. Leaders of organizations who wish to get copies may call directly at P.U.P. Headquarters.
