Esquivel vs. Coye in Caribbean Shores
One candidate is the Prime Minister, the other is mayor of the nation’s largest municipality. The P.M.’s margin of victory the last time around was only forty votes and the challenger has been working hard ever since. Tonight in our continuing coverage of “Elections ’98” we look at the showdown in Caribbean Shores.
Manuel Esquivel, U.D.P., Caribbean Shores
“Just like the Caribbean Shores division happens to be also the division from which this party’s leader comes, therefore the campaign in my division has to be both in terms of the leadership of the nation as well as the leadership of the division. And so we are putting forward the things that we have accomplished in the Caribbean division which has made it the most modern part of Belize City as well as the things we have achieved as the division which is host to the Prime Minister of the country. And so it is in two trusts.”
Q: “You’re going up against a candidate that is untested in national electoral politics, do you think that makes it an easier task for you to defeat Jose Coye?”
Manuel Esquivel
“I don’t know if that makes it easier. What makes it easier is simply a question of record. He has had the exposure of being in charge of Belize City and I think when we compare record to record – that is my record of being in charge of the nation and his of being in charge of the city – I think that is enough for us to take the lead.”
Jose Coye, P.U.P., Caribbean Shores
“Apart from the infrastructural needs we hear in particular with streets and drains and of course recreational areas. We do have the need for the water and sewer system to be extended into the new areas. The sewer system is only in the older part of the Caribbean Shores, but the new areas like West Landivar, Coral Groves, and the Buttonwood Bay up, we do need to improve water and sewer system in there.
So apart from infrastructural needs I would say that the concerns of the Caribbean Shores are very much like that of maybe other divisions in terms of security, in terms of education and jobs, in terms of housing. There are many of our people in the Caribbean Shores that really have a need for lots and for housing. So I say apart from those that may be peculiar, the other things are quite national.”
Q: “Your opponent, Manuel Esquivel is the outgoing Prime Minister of this country, what is the one thing that will make you beat Manuel Esquivel?”
Jose Coye
“Patrick, I think that people are crying out for new leadership, a new concept of leadership. A leadership indeed as Said has been mentioning, a leadership with emphasis on decision, with emphasis on empowering people through human resource development in terms of education, training, health care. A new leadership too with a transformational mind set that is prepared to accept that there is a need for change. But having said all that, I think the leadership too that is needed is a leadership with compassion, a leadership that is sensitized and concerned about people. The people must feel that yes, you are in fact representing their interests and you are there for them when they need you.”
On tomorrow night’s newscast Patrick Jones talks to the candidates in Port Loyola.
