… And referendum on elected senate is also on ballot
Five hours later the Prime Minister once again stepped up to the podium and while the crowd at Independence Hall were all true believers, their fervor was not about church.
Francis Fonseca, Chair, P.U.P.
“Ladies and gentlemen, party supporters, friends, all thirty-one candidates of the People’s United Party, join me in welcoming our Prime Minister, Party Leader Said Musa.”
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
It was prayers in the morning, but by this afternoon, People’s United Party leader Said Musa was all politics as he announced his election plans to a roomful of supporters.
Prime Minister Said Musa
“In accordance with the Constitution of Belize, his Excellency the Governor General today issued a proclamation dissolving the National Assembly. Nomination day has been set for the twenty-first day of January and the General Elections will be held on Thursday, the seventh day of February 2008.”
With that announcement came the party’s campaign strategy for the next month.
Prime Minister Said Musa
”We will be having a series of rallies in the districts, as well as Belize City and later on in the month, we will unveil or launch our manifesto: Believe in Belize.”
“The People’s United Party has from the beginning been conducting a campaign, a very clean campaign, free from violence. We don’t get into people’s characters except when that character reflects on the position they take on issues. We intend to confront the issues head on, the ones that clearly show the tremendous advances we’ve made in education, in health, in housing, in economic development, generally, and to show that this is a continuation of that program. But in addition, we are going to face our existing challenges.”
But during this afternoon’s brief press conference, many of the questions fielded by the Prime Minister dealt with the referendum on the elected Senate.
Prime Minister Said Musa
“The details will, I’m sure, be explained by the Chief Elections Officer or one of her officials, but basically it will be conducted similar to the way it was done when we had two elections the same day for the general and the municipal elections. The holding of a referendum can be expensive so by holding it at the same time as the general elections, there is considerable cost savings. Bearing in mind that this referendum will only settle the question whether or not the people want an elected Senate. In other words, it’ll be a very simple question: do you want an elected senate, yes or no?”
Janelle Chanona
“How will you juggle campaigning on the issues and garnering support for the elected Senate issue so that it does not become the distraction it has been accused of?”
Ralph Fonseca, National Campaign Manager
“The issue is very much—a big part of the issue has got to do with this whole concept of oversight as it relates to the Executive and the elected Senate has to do with oversight, so it is very much emerged in the whole topic of core issues that Belizeans are concerned about.”
Janelle Chanona
“And you are convinced that the elected Senate will provide that oversight and supervision?”
Ralph Fonseca
“That is the whole idea, that’s a move forward, another change that the People’s United Party is making.”
According to the P.U.P., the party will be releasing its model for the elected Senate next week.
Janelle Chanona
“Looking back at the ten years as you prepare to fight for another term, how would you characterise your years in office, the P.U.P.’s administration?”
Ralph Fonseca
“We’ve been challenged, we had all these hurricanes to deal with, we had a world in change, in turmoil, but I think if you look around you’ll see that we met those challenges, we’ve dealt with all the issues and now we’re ready for another five years.”
But one of those challenges has been internal struggles of party, which resulted in the resignation of four Cabinet ministers.
Cordel Hyde, Area Rep., Lake Independence
“The fact that I’ve been here for my people the last ten years and more … and so at the end of the day our people will judge us by what we have done for them.”
Janelle Chanona
“You being individual you or you being P.U.P. you?
Cordel Hyde
“Well I’m on the P.U.P. ticket, there’s no question about that and at the end of the day our people will judge—constituency people will judge what that candidate has done and what that candidate represents. So at the end of the day our Lake Independence residents will judge me on what I have done for them and what I have represented for them. The fact of the matter is that every single time I have stood up, I have stood up for my constituents and what is important to them. And at the end of the day, I don’t represent any special interest; I take my marching orders from the people of Lake Independence. They are the ones who are my boss.”
And tonight P.M. Musa appears confident all his candidates are marching in unison toward a common goal.
Prime Minister Said Musa
“We are going to campaign in all thirty-one divisions. Thank you all very much.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
It should be noted that regardless of the results of any referendum, only the National Assembly has the power to change the constitution and then only with a three quarter majority of the House of Representatives.
