Fonseca will run; pledges more open attitude

Reaction to the name Ralph Fonseca is always extreme … it seems you either love him or hate him. And tonight as the area representative has finally announced his plans for his future in electoral politics, those feelings are bound to cross political lines and divide the nation.

But with less than nine months to go to national elections, Fonseca says he is changing his approach. The new Ralph Fonseca will be more open to the people and the press, so as to defend every controversial decision of his government and ensure success at the polls. In his first one and one interview since his change in attitude, Fonseca began the conversation by explaining to News Five’s Janelle Chanona that he is running in 2008 because his supporters told him to.

Ralph Fonseca
“We decided that I would continue to run as a candidate for Belize Rural Central but let me quickly add, I want to apologize to all those who felt like I took too long to make that decision but I had to be sure that it was the right one. I had to be sure that all of our people were on board with because it was not just a decision for Ralph Fonseca. Ralph Fonseca is very controversial, Ralph Fonseca is a lightning rod; I could not have all that controversy and all that lightning be flashing around me and not be aware of the fact that Belize Rural Central can be affected by this so I left it completely up to the executive of Belize Rural Central, and the people that I work with: the street captains, the people that I have developed relationships with, the people that had ambitions to run, if I did not run to go in there and speak with the people and to see whether they wanted me to run again. That took a while.”

“Last night the executive agreed that not only Dr. Cardo Martinez but also Ambassador Dolores Balderamos Garcia should be a part of the executive and they have agreed. So yes, I’m hands on again if you like, with the details of Belize Rural Central as it relates to the next election. As far as I’m concerned that campaign started last night when I made the pledge to our people that it would be the same Ralph Fonseca, although he’s a few years older, that I would put everything into it and putting everything into it does mean quite a bit of planning and a lot of work, it’s all about work as I’ve always said.”

Janelle Chanona
“Now Mr. Fonseca, you’ve mentioned that you are sometimes portrayed as a controversial figure. Knowing that sometimes perception can override reality, are you prepared for the flak that will come from both within and outside your party about your ambitions now?”

Ralph Fonseca
“Sure, well I’ve lived with it Janelle for over twenty years now. The fact that I’m the National Campaign Manager since 1996; I’ve had a lot more successes than I’ve had failures in the way of elections. That’s one of the reasons why those that oppose us attack me so often. And then there are those that aren’t comfortable in their skins that will always have problems with Ralph Fonseca. So yes they’ll continue to attack and even more so now but I might be wrong but I think the Belizean people have reached a saturation point as it relates to attacking Ralph Fonseca. I have tried to explain everything that I’ve done even the worst scandals that they’ve been able to conjure up have been explained away, whether it’s the D.F.C. hearings, the Social Security hearings, in general, Ralph Fonseca has done what he has to do, he’s done it as best as he can, as smart as he knows how to and I’ve always tried to explain it to the people and I have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of relationships that I’ve built up, I’m extremely proud of.”

Janelle Chanona
“Looking back though as you are go into this general elections next year, do you have any regrets, any mistakes that you would want righted in the eyes of the people knowing that it’s going to be crucial before they go to the polls?”

Ralph Fonseca
“Well we’ve faced many, many challenges. One regret that I do have at times is that I did not take my story to the public as I was attacked, either from within or without. But again, I’m always torn being national campaign manager and being Ralph Fonseca, an area representative. And that’s something else I’ve had to explain to the people of Belize Rural Central. For instance when I was attacked on August tenth of 2004, I gave one interview and that was it. I could have gotten onto every talk show and explained what was happening. People today, I think know what happened but it took too long so maybe some people developed a perception about Ralph Fonseca that they would not have had if I had taken the story to the public. Especially being a journalist, you understand that if you don’t put your story out there, somebody else will for you. And if it is repeated enough, people will believe it. So that’s certainly one regret that I have. Apart from that, it’s always about not having enough time to talk with the people because of complex issues that we’ve taken on, whether it was hydroelectricity, securitization, all of these things you wish that you have more time to talk to everybody and explain exactly what you are doing cause normally I’ve found when you can explain it away, you get these people on your side. If you don’t explain it away, somebody else comes in with a story that has absolutely nothing to do with reality but after a while it catches on and then it can do damage to you and in my case, also to my party. So I guess the biggest regret is that I haven’t had enough time to communicate with the people or at some times, I looked at my role as National Campaign Manager first.”

Janelle Chanona
“Now some people might say that that response can be expanded to include what’s happening with the People’s United Party as a whole and seeing the different decisions and I know the cabinet shuffle has created a stir that perhaps the People’s United Party hasn’t taken that proactive stance and they are always reacting. Would that position or that status quo change going into this last year before elections?”

Ralph Fonseca
“Well certainly you’ll have less tolerance for any kind of disruption as it relates to executing the plans of the party or of the government. But we have a very humble Prime Minister as you know and we’re all coming from the training of George Price if you like and we’ve always been taught that we’ve got to be tolerant as possible with those that are inside the tent. We’ve paid a big price for it and at the end of the day, if you like, maybe lots of these things that have happened over the last three years should have happened three years ago but no one can say that we didn’t try.”

Janelle Chanona
“Some of your colleagues and former cabinet colleagues have taken what, or accessed what is happening now and used words like frustrating, disappointing. You Ralph Fonseca how would you characterize the Musa administration right now?”

Ralph Fonseca
“Well frustrating, disappointing may have to do with the fact that we do have a Prime Minister that tries to get consensus as much as he can, that does not use a heavy hand so people see him sometimes as not acting fast enough, not acting as directly as they would like him to act but that is his style of leadership and it has worked for the party and I think, it has worked for the nation. Just like George Price’s style of leadership worked for Belize, that is what made Belize different from everywhere else in Central America and…But yes, it can seem to be very frustrating at times, even for me, I’ve paid the price but I’ve paid the price willing as long as everyone else respects the party and everybody understands that without the People’s United Party, what we would have is a monumentous disaster.”

Janelle Chanona
“So as campaign manager, you are working on the premise that you all will be successful at the polls?”

Ralph Fonseca
“Absolutely. I’ve got great confidence in the Belizean people, I do think we have to speak to them some more.”

Janelle Chanona
“How would you – Mark Espat, Cordel Hyde, Johnny Briceno, Eamon Courtenay, have all pledged that they are still members of the People’s United Party- how do you envision their role in that scheme and that vision?”

Ralph Fonseca
“I’m very happy to hear that, I was very happy to hear it, I’ve always very happy to work with those individuals, some of them may have had problems working with me at times but I believe in inclusion and no one was happier than myself to hear them make those pronouncements and we’ll be working with them just like all our other colleagues.”

Fonseca’s convention in Belize Rural Central has been set for June twenty-fourth on the Hattieville football field.