U.D.P. wins in landslide, Barrow is P.M.
Call it a landslide, a hurricane, or even better—a tsunami. Whatever you call it the red wave that washed over Belize on Thursday was among the most lopsided electoral routes in modern Belizean history. Reversing a 22-7 deficit in the House of Representatives, Dean Barrow and the U.D.P. won twenty-five of thirty-one seats and in the process captured an impressive approximately fifty-seven percent of the popular vote. The victory swept in U.D.P. candidates nationwide, grudgingly giving up to the P.U.P. only one seat each in Corozal and Orange Walk, and two on each side of Belize City. Former prime minister Said Musa held on in Fort George but other top Cabinet ministers fell like ripe coconuts in a hurricane, including Ralph Fonseca, Godfrey Smith, Jose Coye and Vildo Marin.
Today Prime Minister Barrow took the oath of office in the Governor General’s Belmopan headquarters and News Five’s Janelle Chanona was on hand for the transfer of power.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
When Dean Barrow arrived in Belmopan this afternoon, it was to a crowd of supporters who had lined the driveway to the Governor General’s House.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“ Your Excellency.”
Sir Colville Young, Governor General of Belize
“Good afternoon Leader…no longer leader of the Opposition, now leader of the country and Prime Minister, it’s a pleasure to congratulate you.”
Once inside, Barrow was immediately sworn in as the fourth Prime Minister of Belize.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Dean Oliver Barrow do swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to Belize and will uphold the constitution and the law and that I will conscientiously, impartially and to the best of my ability discharge my duties as the Prime Minister of Belize and do right to all manner of people without fear or favour, affection or ill will, so help me God.”
Sir Colville Young
“Permit me to say something about the expression “imagine the possibilities” and I think the time has gone for imagining. It is now time for realizing the possibilities that have been promised and I’m sure the whole country joins with me in wishing you all the best in that difficult arduous task over the next five years. Once again, I congratulate you and your winning team and indeed I congratulate the whole country on once again demonstrating the strength of our democracy in transferring power peacefully from one party to another. Congratulations Belize.”
Janelle Chanona
“Dean Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize, has yet sunk in yet?”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Well I still have to yet used to it. So to answer your question, no.”
Janelle Chanona
“What are the emotions you are feeling right now?”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“A little choked up just now when I was reading the oath. I think that’s when it really dawned on me that this moment has actually arrived. So there’s that but above all Janelle, there’s this keen sense now of the tremendous responsibility, the huge challenges that lie ahead and this determination on my part to steel myself to ensure that I always do my very best and that I do so as honestly and as openly as I possibly can.”
Janelle Chanona
“Mr. Barrow, I know you mentioned to us early this morning that you were still, or that you are in the process of selecting your cabinet but I think a lot of people are wondering has any tentative arrangements been made?”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“No, I wanted to take the weekend to do this. I’d of course given some indication beforehand from earlier on during the campaign that Carlos Perdomo would be looked at for the Minister of National Security position. I’ve pretty much signalled that Patrick Faber would be Minister of Education, that Gaspar Vega would, of course, be Deputy Prime Minister and I would expect him to hold the Natural Resources portfolio but beyond that I haven’t gone.”
Janelle Chanona
And you would accept the Ministry of Finance.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Yes, yes indeed. Yes.”
Janelle Chanona
“Mr. Barrow, any message you’d like to give to the electorate tonight?”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Once again to say a great big thank you and I’m very conscious of the tremendous honour that’s been done me, of the trust that’s been placed in me and that I commit myself to ensuring that I never violate or betray that trust.”
But today there were reports that U.D.P. supporters had targeted various government offices, including the Ministry of Lands in Belmopan, which resulted in early closures and police protection.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“The C.E.O. of course goes with the Government but the Commissioner of Lands is an extremely senior person, somebody that I know and somebody that I think the community knows to be a person of integrity—this is Mrs. Noreen Fairweather—and I think that people will that will ensure that whatever is to be kept intact. I don’t have a problem with elected officials making contact with public officers to remind them that there may be an issue with respect to trying to secure government property. But beyond that, no elected official must go. The Cabinet, I’ve just arranged with the Governor General for the cabinet to be sworn in next Tuesday until that happens, there is no authority on the part of any of our elected officials to behave in this fashion and there’s no call to behave in this fashion. So if that has been going on, I need to signal now that it’s is to stop.”
But tonight the party is focusing on starting the celebrations with a victory rally at party headquarters.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“I didn’t expect such a huge crowd at the spontaneous thing that happened last night. They almost killed me with love. They almost tore me limb from limb in an effort to show how much they appreciated what had happened but as I said it would have been a wonderful way to die.”
The Ministerial swearing in ceremony has been planned for ten on Tuesday morning. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
Other incidents of intimidating behavior by U.D.P. supporters occurred at the RECONDEV office in Belmopan and in the Corozal Free Zone where it is reported that a large motorcade of celebrating vehicles forced its way through the security barrier and held a post election party in front of a politically friendly store. The flow of commerce in the Zone was apparently unaffected.
