A tale of 2 economies: P.M. & Opposition Leader’s Independence Day Speeches
Dean Barrow
There were conflicting tales of the same economy on Independence Day by Prime Minister Dean Barrow and the Leader of the Opposition, John Briceño. One presented a picture of an economy on the rebound and the other spoke of a society gripped by extremely low poverty levels and rampant crime. According to the Statistical Institute, the consumer price index shot up by one point eight percent in May, due to high fuel prices. But what we heard from PM Barrow, who quoted generously from the same SIB, was of a growth in the economy, which the SIB says was spurred by the population and housing census. But according to Briceño, we are shackled by an economic recession whose untrammeled effect is being felt in every settlement, village, town and city in our Jewel. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports on the Independence Day addresses at Belmopan.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The ceremonies for the twenty-ninth anniversary of Belize’s independence were held in Belmopan on Tuesday. While the uniform parade was held through the principal streets of the Old Capital, Garden City hosted dignitaries including members of the diplomatic and consular corps, the clergy as well as the opposition People’s United Party. The traditional inspection of the military guard of honor was also conducted by Governor General Sir Colville Young. Prime Minister Dean Barrow, whose arrival under heavy security detail appeared rather unusual, later spoke on Belize’s financial state of affairs considering that the global economy may be heading back into recession.
Dean Barrow
“The implications for us in terms of remittances, investments, export and tourism have been harmfully consequential but the data shows, this is the objective collection of the figures by the independent Statistical Institute of Belize, the data shows that we have been remarkably resilient in the circumstances. The SIB recently confirmed that for the first half of 2010 our economy grew by two point four percent.”
Opposition leader John Briceno had a contrary view; in his address he highlighted the extreme state of poverty in which Belizeans are finding themselves in despite minimal economic growth in the first two quarters of this year.
John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition
john briceno
“Never before have so many Belizeans been so poor. All over our jewel so blessed by nature our farmers struggle; working harder, earning less. The problem faced by almost every sector of agro-industry: sugar, citrus, banana and papaya mount daily and aquaculture faces disaster. In the services sector business is increasingly precarious and in tourism the numbers continue to decline.
Depending on which of the two accounts you choose to believe the country is either on the economic upswing or it is spiraling downwards uncontrollably. Back in July the Statistical Institute of Belize announced that there was a recovery of three and a half percent within the first three months of 2010. Rebounding strongly was the tourism sector.
Dean Barrow
“Tourism, I don’t know where some people get their figures from, tourism in particular is up with hotel revenue from April to August of 2010 increasing by eight point three-nine percent over the same period last year. The SIB confirms bananas and citrus are doing well. Construction, energy generation and petroleum production are all robust. Aquaculture, even aquaculture is on the rebound and non-traditional exports are experiencing their own great leap forward.”
On the issue of crime and violence, a swelling problem that is haunting the Barrow Administration Briceño noted that the upsurge in homicides which currently stands at ninety-eight is sparing no one.
John Briceño
“We are killed in our homes, killed in the streets, mothers, fathers, families weeping over the bodies of loved ones while our prisons overflow. Never before have there been so many failed investigations and prosecutions or so little justice for Belizean families.”
With the conclusion of major events during the September Celebrations the seemingly dormant Restore Belize which is most popular for its I Am Belize theme song than it appears to be effective in addressing certain aspects of the plague, the P.M. admitted there is no initial budget but it will receive additional funding from G.O.B.
Dean Barrow
“In terms of Restore Belize I once again make an appeal for national commitment. Altogether government will be spending around two million dollars in the rest of this fiscal year on the various aspects of the initiative. Now this is money not budgeted but it must be found since everything has to be done to defeat this scourge of gun violence and murder now overtaking the Belizean way of life.”
Reiterating that commitment was the leader of the opposition.
John Briceño
“It is the responsibility of government to keep our citizens safe and so on the twenty-ninth anniversary of our independence let us be brave like those before us were brave. Let us determine that we will not give in to fear, that we will not allow anyone to take from us our right to live in peace, our right to live in a society where justice and liberty prevail over fear and vindictiveness.”
Finally, among the other issues re-hashed in the prime minister’s speech was infrastructure development scheduled to begin in various parts of the country, including the Kendal Bridge in the south.
Dean Barrow
“The contract for the new lot of road reconstruction works in the north of our country, in the territory of the leader of the opposition, will be signed imminently thus twenty-five million dollars will begin to be spent now on the Orange Walk to San Lazaro Road and the Orange Walk to San Estevan to Progresso Road.”
Other monies have also been earmarked for drainage and street works in the different municipalities as well as to the Southside Poverty Alleviation initiative in Belize City. Pending however is the construction of a new bridge on the Kendall River in South Stann Creek which has been promised by the United Democratic Party government since taking office in 2008. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
Nothing’s new. We have two politicians blowing smoke . The sky is falling. Maybe it’s just rain & that pot at the end of the rainbow may actually be filled with gold, not a bucket of urine.
Until the tourist dollars start trickling down & the rest of the country can appreciates its benefits, there is little incentive for people to change their behavior. Belizeans at home & abroad are horrified at the level of violence that the country is experiencing. Both of these men have been in office for years & watched the murder rate escalate. No one gave a …. until Rodwell was shot & the Mayor of Belmopan lost his son. Despite the death of the Dangriga Magistrate’s son, the Magistrates continue to come up with rulings that makes no sense to the average law abiding citizen. Belizeans do not need a body count, Belizeans need solutions & we need leaders on both sides prepared to work together to turn the country around.
Since the tourist dollars are important, why are the front desk people at our major hotels & tourist attractions not reflective of our population? Why is a request for a room at what was once Fort George treated with suspicion when the call is made from a local number? I no longer live in Belize & felt dirty after talking to these people, how absolutely ignorant & arrogant that they question why the call was not made from the states. I can only imagine how condescending these people are in person to our children.
Rather than feeling privileged when their general manager or any other person making money off our resources treat the “Belizean Elite” as their equals, understand that that you are being fed & are eating your own.
Unless & until the leaders in both parties set higher standards for themselves & the people who choose to do business in our country & invest in education & the equality of opportunity for those who have sacrificed to educate their children, the disillusioned will continue to grow & lash out because they do not believe their lives have any value & cannot value anyone else’s.
Why is Mr Barrow misleading the Belizean people?Everyone in Belize knows the economy is jacked up.I believe Mr Bricenio’s speech in ref to the state of the economy is more realistic than Mr Barrow’s.
Mr Barrow is right – instead of cursing the darkness we should light va candle – ive been saying that we all need to work together n come up with solutions. But I do agree with Elgin, it seems like Mr Briceno’s look at the economy was more realistic than Mr PM.
Mr. Briceno got it right this time around. Mr. Barrow is trying to mislead the Belizean People. Why deny the truth on Independence Day?? Liad again!!!
barrow needs to resign he cant handle the candle evn if it is lit let some one else do it pls for God sake resign,PM doing nothing minister doing PM and ministers are doing nothing to find a solutions pls go go
to my point of view i think that Mr. Johny said the truth about how our jewel stand at this momment, Barrow seems to try fool us with his lies when everything seems obvious that we’re getting worst in the economy. Since he mentioned about road construction in the orange walk south, what about trinidad,august pine ridge and san felipe will they get any road reconstruction. Since i was a kid this promises started with musa when the big signs we’re put up saying that they’ll pave the road way to blue creek. I visit my home village and still the road full of pot holes, rough and dusty. the worst and shameful thing barrow did was to try fool the nation on an independenceday ceremony, jeez he has the audacity to lie to us.
The worse thing is when a politician starts to beleive his lies, soon Jefferies will tell us that crime is down, how can we expect a change if the PM is saying all things all fine and beatiful. For an alcoholic to change the first thing he has to do in an AA meetinting is to accept and announce that he is an alcoholic. If this PM does not accept that we have a problem then there is no change to look forward to. Dawg eat wi suppa!!!!!!!!!!!
GOODNESS ME!!! really Barrow? You think Belize is “remarkably resilient ” .. gosh your bank account must be filled with money. Look around you… the people are starving for jobs, money, food and safety. I am not usually one to go for any party, PUP, UDP, the same when in goverment, but at least Johnny was right during his speech, Belize is in an unhealthy situation rightnow. How can you say the country is good when students are graduating and there are no jobs for anyone… stores are closing.. ecomony has gone to …. c’mon!!
AND…………………… PAVE THE CANAL-SIDE…………….. IN FRONT OF THE POUND YARD BUS TERMINAL AND MARKET.
Da FOOL THE TALK BUT DA NUH FOOL THE LISTEN DEAN BARROW YOUR AN A** who do you think your fooling i guess you feel so safe an secure with your body gaurds and all you feel so safe and secure knowing you have money you feel so safe and secure knowing that your family are not starving your family are not scared to walk the streets of belize they have someone to protect them at all times but who will protect me and my children who will buy my grocries when business are closing down and i cant find a job to buy basic food items for me and my family who will protect me when i am walking down the street and shot inocently becuase i dont have a guard. Wake up open your eyes you and the other ministers in your government are useless its time to just step down.
BZNinCALI: Well said. Our black youths are being marginalised. What is disappointing is that the man in charge is a Black man. Nepotism is what kill Belize, even if you have an IQ below average but your uncle is in charge then you will be given a job whether you can do it or not. If you have no connections in Belize forget it. This why the PUP are mad, because they have a long time to wait before they can give their Tio, Tia, primo/a, hermana/o, wah li help.
WIth regards to the two contradictory statements, it is expected. After all, no one would expect the PM would talk down his own government, tell me, would you? Likewise Mr Briceno, he wants to be in power at the next election, now why would he tell you or do anything positive which will help Mr Barrow. “how do you know a politician is telling a lie?” Well it’s simple! When his/her lips are moving. Don’t believe the hype from both side, people. I am no PUP or UDP voter, I am luckily intelligent to decipher the truth (there is always 3 sides to a story) and make an informed decision.
It’s so SIMPLE…………… It’s SPIN-DOCTOR ……….. VS…………… SPIN-DOCTOR!!!
and they ain’t ………… DJs.
May the best SPIN-DOCTOR win.
Is it me or is Barrow on Venus and we are on earth in Belize? Cursing the darkness? That is exactly how Barrow win in the last general election and continue to do so today; I do not dislike Barrow because of no goddamn color; I dislike and fear him because he is a psychopathic liar to say the least.
It is incredibly disconcerting how people in this country still actually swallow all the cow dung to spew from that orifice in his face; I mean sometimes I do not blame Barrow for trying to be a dictator; because there are some people in this country that are just too damn retarded to see what is obviously right in front of their very eyes.
This crisis in our country has surpassed political boundaries; our colonial mindset is killing us as a people, quite literally, our youths are lost because their parents were lost/missing during their upbringing.
I do not blame Barrow for our problems in Belize; I blame us lazy …, always-want-a-hand-out Belizeans who, all we do is complain, complain, complain and blame everyone for our retarded behavior but ourselves as a people; Barrow or Musa or Fonseca did not make us all criminals, we (society) did that all on our own; the only thing our politicians can be blamed for is manipulating the situation and acquiring power and control.
Anyways; on another topic, why in the hell where our PM and first lady dressed in basically full black on our Independence Day?
Anti-Racism what the hell are you talking about? Too much people are smoking crack in this country, seriously; the entire point of being a politician is to seek a position of being a ruler; a position of power; that is and has never been a secret; ay dios mio.
Red or Blue, Briceno told the facts; the reality of the situation that is Belize today; I don’t hear Jonny bashing Barrow over the head and being disrespectful; on the contrary, go back in history and listen to the derogatory statements Barrow has made; Barrow is the epitome of a sociopath; a narcissist; an egomaniac; this guys probably jizz in his pants at listening to himself be so witty when he makes a speech.
Reality check:
– Barrow is an intelligent man
– he can’t handle this job
– he has to go
No politics; just reality.
Anti-Racism,
Sometimes when these guys open their mouths I feel like putting on boots. Many of us in California questioned why a man who murdered two Belizean women in L.A.more than 20 years ago was allowed to run back to Belize & live free. The excuse was that the crime was not committed on Belizean soil & we had no extradition treaty with the US. One brick knocked out of our foundation. This happened under PUP’s watch.
We watched the land giveaway in the 80s to people who described us as backwards, corrupt & as one man who got his acreage in Ambergris Caye put it, “these ignorant natives sh** where they eat” UDP was in charge.
It took god Jr. who ran the consulate in L.A. more than a month to renew a passport unless you were connected then it took 24 hours & she was an improvement over her predecessor, he was arrested on drug charges. One UDP, the other PUP.
Our Tourism Minister found a way to blame the Creoles from the mainland for being disruptive instead of addressing why one policeman killed another this year in San Pedro. PUP is shuffling familiar names near the top, bickering about positions & showing total disregard for the way some of these people have screwed the country & the arrogance with which they explain their right to everything they have taken. Last month, one explained that he came from money & was entitled to whatever land he was given.
And these people want us to buy what they are selling….Good luck with that