Briceño seeks party unity; will be sworn in Wednesday

In political news, forty-eight hours after the election of Johnny Briceño as the new leader of the Peoples’ United Party, it appears that the vast majority of P.U.P. officials and supporters are prepared to unite behind his leadership. Briceño will be sworn in as Leader of the Opposition on Wednesday and has already begun the task of mending the fences strained by his successful challenge to the party hierarchy in Sunday’s convention victory over Francis Fonseca. While unity is an axiom for any political party anywhere in the world, it is especially crucial to Briceño, who inherits a structure that is not of his own making. Particularly challenging will be the twin mainstays of fundraising and propaganda. The man most likely to fill the first gap is former foreign minister and longtime Briceño confidant Eamon Courtenay. Courtenay got off the Musa/Fonseca bandwagon early enough to be untainted by the scandals surrounding them but was part of the inner circle long enough to learn the fine art of campaign finance. As for the science of publicity, that vacuum is less easily filled. The party P.R. organs like the Belize Times and Positive Vibes may not have won many hearts, minds or votes in the last election but a newspaper and radio station, handled properly, are vital assets. Briceño has learned that the party owns neither outlet so he is faced with the choice of working closely with those who do, buying them out, or creating his own propaganda institutions. As for the boundless energy of P.R. chief Yasser Musa, there is some question regarding his future. Yasser has always said that he is in politics solely to help his father. With Said on the sidelines one would think that would remove Yasser from the front lines. But soldiering has a way of getting in one’s blood and it is difficult to imagine someone with the young warrior’s formidable gifts staying out of what will no doubt be the many battles to come.