Peace prevails in second protest against U.H.S.
The sets may have looked the same, but today’s drama in Belmopan had a radically different script than the one that played out seven days earlier. News Five’s Janelle Chanona was once again on duty outside the National Assembly building in Belmopan.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Barbed wire, strong police presence, and intense heat did little to dampen the celebratory spirit of the thousands of United Democratic Party supporters that congregated on Independence Hill today.
Gaspar Vega, Deputy Party Leader
“We are very happy. We’re very happy, because we have realised and everyone has realised in Belize that the people of Belize have had a victory and this victory is only the beginning of the restoration of our entire country. We have learnt that if we are united and speak with one voice, we will always have the strength to get what the people deserve.”
Joining in today’s protest were hundreds of teachers from across the country. Before heading to the plaza, the educators held a rally at the Belmopan Civic Centre.
Jaime Panti, President, Bze. National Teachers Union
“I want to plead to you not to give this a political twist, because people are trying to over-cloud the issues and they are many underlying factors and underlying issues that we need to get to so that we can make informed and we can actually keep also the Belizean people informed because that’s our moral obligation as teachers. We have that influence.”
According to B.N.T.U. President Jaime Panti, the teachers risked losing a day’s salary to have their say on national issues.
Jaime Panti
“We are always concerned about our children, but we also concerned about our country. We are also concerned about the welfare of all Belizeans, because if our conditions are not in the Best, then education will never be effective.”
Godwin Hulse, Senator, Business Community
“It’s a business like any other business, but they should pay their debt. It is not one for us to pay.”
Special guest at the rally was Senator Godwin Hulse, who gave his reaction to the Prime Minister’s statement on the U.H.S. crisis.
Godwin Hulse
“He says, “Last week I introduced a loan motion in the House of Representatives to settle the Government of Belize debt obligation in relation to the Universal Health Services.” There is no Government of Belize debt Mr. Prime Minister, what part of that you don’t understand? There is no Government of Belize debt with Universal Health Services.”
“The issue was simply that the people of Belize do not feel that our tax money, in already hard times when we are already burdened with ballooning debts that we will be struggling to pay come now and worse in the year 2012, the super bond is the case in point, that an additional hundred and one point five million dollars should be put on our backs for what we did not get and money we did not borrow. That was issue and that is still the issue.” [Applause]
With the House meeting minutes away, the teachers paraded to Independence Plaza. On the hill, the educators joined parents, students, political aspirants, the media, elected representatives, and even a celebrity impersonator. As the morning wore on, the crowd congregated around public address systems and radios broadcasting what was happening inside the House.
Frank Mena, Dangriga Mayor
“If they serious about spending that thirty-three million dollars for Universal, if they serious about finding money to give, then they need to take a close look at the Southern Regional Hospital and see the shortcomings. Our town council has been soliciting and making donations to the Southern Regional Hospital and that’s not directly our responsibility, but we are dealing with our people.”
Protestor #1
“You read the sign, the sign seh they no born yet, they unborn and they have to pay this money. Twenty, twenty-five years fram now dah they wah pay, maybe we no live fu see, but they wah haffu deh yah fu pay it. We need good governance, stay with the U.D.P. and we wah get good governance. That’s all I got to seh.”
Ravei Gonzalez, Orange Walk Mayor
”Basically I feel the overall atmosphere is that they want the resignation of the Prime Minister.”
Janelle Chanona
“How do you see that coming about?”
Ravei Gonzalez
“Well public pressure. As you see, the public pressure brought about the bill not being passed, so we believe the pressure on the people itself, and how the government behaves from now onward will dictate how soon the Prime Minister will call resignation or rather elections.”
Protestor #2
“I come from Silk Grass and we have to move Musa from deh, that dah the fact.”
Janelle Chanona
“Why?”
Protestor #2
“We can’t pay deh money baby. Whe we wah get the money fram? You understand me?”
Glenn Ysaguirre, Association of Concerned Belizeans
“I think it does have to continue because it seems that as soon as you deal with one situation, there is something else coming on the table. And as for the U.H.S. bill, it appears from the statement he made that that is not completely withdrawn, that they will return with some kind of proposal at a later date that must involve Government. … And we suspect that they will be using the Petroleum Fund to roll out some makeshift version of N.H.I. and direct that flow to U.H.S. for them to be able to service this loan.”
Patrick Faber, Area Rep., Collet
“We want to register our protest against the B.T.L. bill, the vesting bill, but apart from that we want the Prime Minister to resign, that is our strong message. You hear what the people are chanting, call the elections now. That is what we are saying to him. He has lost the people, lost the people absolutely.”
This woman was one of several today that showed up today prepared for the worst: teargas.
Protestor #3
“You have to put water on it or you keep a bottle of water with the towel, it shouldn’t be dry, you know because the teargas could still get you. It should be wet.”
Janelle Chanona
“And you felt you were going to need this today why you bring it?”
Protestor #4
“No you prepare, you just prepare.”
But today’s demonstration did not include the riot squad and tear gas, a fact many in the crowd felt was directly attributable to the absence of Assistant Commissioner of Police, Crispin Jeffries.
Protestor #5
“Well you see everything gone smooth and cool cause Mr. Jeffries no show up, he dah the problem.”
According to authorities, the move was planned.
G. Michael Reid, Police Press Officer
“We felt that today he was not needed and we didn’t want to do anything to be a part of any instigation to violence. And the people have spoken, if the people seh they no wah Jeffries then no Jefferies. As you can see, he was conspicuously absent and trust me though, he was behind the scenes and in control. He commands a lot of respect. We believe that he is a man that gets a bad rap actually because he does a very good job at what he does.”
When the meeting of the House of Representatives concluded, Opposition Leader Dean Barrow emerged to a warm welcome.
Dean Barrow
“Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s hear it for Belize.” [Crowd cheers]
“While we have won a victory with respect to the beating back of this U.H.S. arrangement, the government continues in its monstrous way to disrespect the people of this country, to disrespect the unions, disrespect the teachers, to disrespect the workers. They succeeded today in passing a bill that will disenfranchise the unions with respect to the shares that they hold in the Belize Telecommunications Limited. That is to say, ladies and gentlemen that the struggle is not over. Certainly, with respect to U.H.S., the Prime Minister seemed to be leaving the door open to bring back that motion at a further date. Well Belizeans are telling him from now: not now, not ever.” [Crowd cheers] “And we will not rest until we force Said Wilbert Musa to resign and set the date!” [Crowd Cheering]
After that address, the U.D.P. supporters headed for their buses parked nearby and left Belmopan, ending a day of disagreement peacefully. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
