Former Prime Minister breaks silence on Venezuela millions
Just before five o’clock, the two-day debate for the 2008-2009 budget concluded and as expected it got the nod of the House. It was rough and tumble and boisterous during this morning’s session. Parliamentary practices were dashed aside and it got down right nasty when the former Prime Minister Said Musa, who has endured months of tongue lashings and took more today from the government side and the gallery, rose to make his presentation. And as he wound up, Musa broke his silence on the Venezuelan millions, but first the member of Fort George defended his administration for its record in education, culture and housing—among others.
Said Musa, Area Rep., Fort George
“They should not insult the intelligence of the Belizean people by pretending that nothing was done. A lot was accomplished, but Belize is a growing nation and much remains to be done especially in the area of addressing the social ills of our country; teenage pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, youth unemployment, lack of entrepreneurial skills, the pervasive drug trade, growing crime and violence …”
Gallery Yelling
“…Corruption!”
Said Musa
“The skyrocketing cost of living.”
Gallery Yelling
“…Corruption”
Said Musa
“And yes! Corruption!”
Gallery erupts…
Said Musa
“There is corruption and as the minister for foreign affairs rightly pointed out a while ago, the corruption is pervasive in our society and this government will soon find out how difficult it is to deal with the contraband trade, how difficult it is to deal with the so called mordita and all these acts of corruption that exist in our society. Belize is no wasteland, Mr. Prime Minister. The P.U.P. left you with a strong and resilient economy. Less than six months after this government took office … you want to answer why they voted you out in 1998? Kept you out in 2003? Today however, less than six months later, the economy is coming to a screeching halt unless you do something about it quickly. Belize is now facing the economic phenomenon of an economic slow down, so called recession, compounded by an out of control high cost of living, inflation. And we know what that means, Mr. Speaker; recession, inflation, that is stagflation staring us in the face. They don’t like to hear this, but ninety percent of the capital projects, Mr. Speaker, are all projects for which funds were secured by the People’s United Party.”
Gallery erupts …
Said Musa
“The Placencia road; the funding for that was signed by the then minister, the member for Albert, when he was Minister of Economic Development. The completion of the southern highway, I signed that agreement.”
Gallery erupts …
Said Musa
“The European funding for sugar and bananas, I signed that as prime minister with the ambassador for Jamaica.”
Gallery yelling
“No!”
Said Musa
“Yes! The record is there as the prime minister well knows. It’s right there in his office. The millions that were secured for the—under this Social Investment Fund and the Commonwealth initiative. All of these P.U.P. projects; they don’t like to hear it.”
Emil Arguelles, Speaker of the House
“Honourable members, the member is allowed to speak with some level of … that goes especially fort he members of the gallery.”
Said Musa
“Mr. Speaker, the health reform project, again.”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, he did not ask you permission to read. He said to refer to his notes and all he is doing is reading a text …”
Said Musa
“I am not reading, I am referring to my notes.”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“… no doubt written for him.”
Said Musa
“What kind of point of order is that? Sit down man. Sit down!”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“You cannot read!”
Gallery erupts …
Said Musa
“I am not reading.”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“You fi sit, I am on my feet making a point of order …”
Emil Arguelles
“Honourable member …”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“I am on my feet making a point of order.”
Emil Arguelles
“Honourable member, he is raising a point of order, I think you should sit down.”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“You sit down! That’s right.”
Gallery erupts …
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, he did not ask your permission to read and he’s reading. We understand there’s a convention in this House that the response to the prime minister’s budget speech by the Leader of the Opposition is read. He seems to have forgotten, he is not the Leader of the Opposition; he cannot read unless he gets your permission Sir.”
Emil Arguelles
“Please proceed honourable member. Make reference to your notes.”
Said Musa
“Thank you Mr. Speaker. They don’t want to hear me you know, they don’t want to hear me.”
Gallery Yelling
“Nobody want hear you!”
Said Musa
“Oh nobody noh? Alright, it is so amusing that when the Prime Minister was leader of the opposition, what he had to say … what he had to say …”
Gallery erupts …
Said Musa
“Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker! He painted …”
Gallery chanting “Resign”
Emil Arguelles
“Members, the gallery, this is the last warning, I will ask you to withdraw.”
Said Musa
“I have sat very patiently, Mr. Speaker, while others have had a field day attacking me, calling me all sorts of vile names, disparaging me, vilification, I have been maliciously vilified and attacked because of the grand funds gifted by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. These funds were secured because of the very good relations that our P.U.P. government had with Venezuela and with its head of state, President Hugo Chavez. Not one cent of tax payer’s money was used to bail out the Universal Hospital, not one cent of the generous gift.”
Gallery erupts …
Said Musa
“Mr. Speaker, they said they want to hear. Not one cent of the generous gift from Venezuela benefited me personally or indeed any official of the Peoples’ United Party. None of us benefited personally. I can stand here in this House and before my God and say that truthfully.”
Gallery erupts …
Said Musa
“But you see this matter, Mr. Speaker, has been the subject of much political controversy and now legal dispute. One thing I do know …”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Point of order, you said that matter is before the courts, you, therefore, cannot speak on it.”
Said Musa
“This is why I am being very careful of what I say, Mr. Speaker, without offending the subjudicare rule. What I can say is that trough out this matter, I acted in good faith, with good intentions and I defy anyone of them to prove otherwise. I know that at the end of the day, with all their charges, innuendos and counter charges, I committed no criminal wrong doing and time will prove that. Noh watch me, watch yuhself. Noh watch me, watch yuhself. You have already offended the Maya people down south, you have already offended many of the land owners, you have already had to pull back from that draconian measure that you wanted to pass; to lock up the young people, to lock up citizens of this country with no charge and no due process. That is what you wanted to do but the people gave you the message already. In other words, Mr. Speaker, the young people are calling on you. Where are the jobs? The people out there want to know when you’re gonna bring down the cost of fuel as you promised. When you’re going to bring it down; not talk about—as you did in a radio interview—talk about we have to watch, we don’t undersell Esso. Is it Esso you wan to protect? That’s what the people are looking for and the people out there who are facing the rising cost of living with bread fifty cents more now; they are the ones that you should be looking after. Deal with the high cost of living. Noh watch me, watch yuhself.”
Shortly after his contribution, Musa left the building. But even after he had gone the missiles continued flying his way and it was vintage Michael Finnegan who in his usual rootsy presentation used bukut to describe the wrong doings of the past administration.
