Mark King no longer mad; U.D.P. allows him in convention

Earlier we told you about Leonard Chavarria’s woes with the P.U.P.; on the other side of the political fence, Mark King was home safe. You will remember him as the whistle blower against Belize City Mayor Zenaida Moya, and more recently, he took a swipe against the UDP for rejecting his application to run as standard bearer in the Lake Independence constituency for the next General Elections.  But on Saturday there was a change of heart by the U.D.P.’s Central Executive, which has now reversed its decision against the former U.D.P. Councilor.  When he met with the media in front of the U.D.P. Headquarters today, he didn’t only admit that he was wrong for his actions in the past; King said mea culpa.

Mark King, Granted Permission to Run for U.D.P.

Mark King

“To a large extent, it was my fault that I was fighting with my own party.  I was approaching my party the wrong way and that I had to come to realize that I had made some very unlikeable and disrespectful comments and actions on my party.  In regards to the City Council, I got elected on a platform of accountability and transparency, Marion.  Yes, I am sorry the way I approached the issue, but at the same time, I think I still would have brought the issue to the forefront, just in a different way, in a more milder way, so it wouldn’t look as if though I am fighting with my party, and I think that is the thing here.  I think I have to control that be more respectful to my party colleagues, and at the end of the day, as long as I can balance both of those—I don’t think I have done anything bad in terms of standing up for Belizeans.  That is what I stand for.  I have totally accepted my responsibility that I was wrong and I’m willing to put that behind me now and move on.  I come with new hopes and new motivation and great respect for my party and its members and I’ve been able to convince them of that because it is truly what I mean, to move on with this party and support its principles and its platform of accountability and transparency.  So with that in mind, I think they have said that they will allow me to run.”

Marion Ali

“You’ve also been recorded in the House of having outbursts.  Now that you’re seeking public office, how can you assure John Public that’s going to cast their votes for you that this is not going to repeat itself?”

Mark King

“Marion I wouldn’t fully agree with you. Well, on the part of being militant to my party and disrespectful, I can assure the public or my party that that would not happen, but I can’t say that I would not fight for the democratic freedom of Belizeans.  When I stood in the House of Representatives—there’s only two times I stood up for this country—one is in the House of Representatives, and Marion if you really look at that closely, that was when the super bond was being passed.  And this present government and all governments after this will be crying about that super bond, which me, your kids and their kids will have to be paying back.  So it was a symbol of patriotism, Marion. It wasn’t a symbol of violence; it wasn’t a symbol of anger.”

Marion Ali

“Ok but it wasn’t effective, the super bond issue was still passed.”

Mark King

“Of course it wasn’t effective, but imagine it was more than just me standing up on that rail.  Imagine there was just more than that to it and Belizeans joined in with me.  And that is where it starts, somebody has to lead the charge for Belizeans.”

So then, Mark King is now allowed to run for convention for the U.D.P. in the Lake I division where he will be facing other aspirants from his party.  But will he get the support of Mayor Zenaida Moya Flowers whom he so bitterly criticized three years ago?

Mark King

“I don’t think I need Mayor Moya’s support at all.  I think if she wants to support me I think I am welcoming that thought.  However, I have no contact with her, after the last City Council election that was it.  I haven’t even seen the Mayor to say speak to her or anything.  In terms of that, I have been doing my groundwork in my constituency which I wish to go in and I have been trying to bring myself together to present myself to the party to say you know what, you still have a good candidate here and Lake Independence is going to see one of the best standard bearers bringing it home to the U.D.P.

Marion Ali

“You seem pretty confident—“best standard bearer” meaning, tell us who you’re going up against and, well you’re not going to share your game plan how you’re going to ensure you become the standard bearer.”

Mark King

“I don’t mind sharing a piece with you.  I am confident because I know what I am capable of.  I am somebody, when I get pan the ground I could basically she dah wah pack bread and wah can ah sausage with water bottle eena mi back pocket and I wah deh eena people house night and day.  At the end of the day the objective is to bring home Lake Independence for the United Democratic Party and I believe I can seal that deal come the next general election.”

Marion Ali

“But also at the end of the day your party is known to have its own favorites going these kinds of conventions.  Do you feel you have the backing of your party?”

Mark King

“Of course Marion, if I didn’t feel I had the backing and support of many of the colleagues in my party there is no way I would have jumped out there and go for it.”

Marion Ali

“Despite the fact that they were denying you that opportunity?”

Mark King

“Despite the fact Marion, like I said, it was never that my party didn’t want me to run, it was that I have been undesirably disrespectful at times, it was that I have fought the fight from the wrong approach and that I have come to realize now that I need to turn that around and go back to where I first started and that will bring me back to good tidings with my party.”

Still on the U.D.P., Lee Mark Chang was endorsed on Sunday as the U.D.P. Standard Bearer for the Freetown division, which is currently being represented by Francis Fonseca of the P.U.P.