Barrow says he’s ready, whenever election called

Over the last two decades the nature of politics and the media has changed to the point where Belize appears to be in a state of permanent electioneering. Yet even though it’s sometimes difficult to figure out where one campaign ends and the next begins, viewers will have noticed that recently the intensity of the partisan media war has been turned up a notch. Does this mean that elections are coming soon? News Five’s Janelle Chanona asked U.D.P. leader Dean Barrow who says whatever date is chosen, he’s ready.

Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“I gather the Prime Minister said anytime between August and March, so of course August is here and so it must mean then that if for once he is telling the truth that the elections can be anytime from today on. And in that context what we are trying to do is to have all the arms of the party get ready to have our candidates, our campaign committees, our foot soldiers recognise that indeed while we don’t exactly know when the elections will be, they can happen in the next thirty days. The Prime Minister can make an announcement tomorrow. We are not expecting an announcement tomorrow, but it means that we are getting closer and closer and the idea is as I said to create the kind of atmosphere in which this party, our party will be going full tilt at these elections and planning for them to come as early as October.”

Janelle Chanona
“And in that drive everybody is united; everybody is focussed; you all are ready?”

Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“That’s what I’ve been doing in terms of I have been in the districts every single week for the past maybe five weeks or so. I was just in Toledo again on Tuesday and Wednesday and I was able to bring back into the fold Mr. Dennis Usher; he has agreed to become the campaign manager and has been appointed the campaign manager to the current candidates, so that breach is completely healed. There were little difficulties in Dangriga. I had gone there the week before, those have been sorted out. And so I am satisfied that we are well underway to presenting as united a front as can be expected in any mass party and that we are also well underway to having an election day machine that’s going to be absolutely fighting fit.”

While various ruling party operatives are trying to spook the Opposition with early election talk, the smart money is still riding on March. The last time the P.U.P. tried an early election, in 1993, it backfired, with the party losing power despite receiving a majority of the popular vote.