More ministers seek to avert Friday vote
In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a political crisis in Belize and as we get closer to Friday’s crucial vote in the House of Representatives, the level of noise keeps increasing. Today there was no end of meetings, pronouncements, and press conferences, not to mention unending ads on radio and television. What’s hard to determine, however, is what direction, if any, all this activity may be heading.
On the government side, Prime Minister Said Musa seemed to be using a “good cop – bad cop” strategy. The bad cop that yesterday fired Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde for their disobedience was today transformed into the good cop reaching out to civic groups, religious leaders, and the business community. While the press office churned out a ream of releases stressing the logic and reasonableness of the government’s proposals, participants in the meetings report that few, if any, in attendance were buying the party line. In short, the attempt to characterise Said Musa’s unauthorised thirty-three million dollar bailout of Universal Health Services as an economically sound effort to help Belize’s poor is just not going to wash.
Perhaps more important, the Prime Minister’s efforts to keep his Cabinet in line are also showing signs of stress. The dismissal of Mark and Cordel has apparently not had the desired deterrent effect as sources indicate that Deputy Prime Minister John Briceño will definitely vote no on Friday and probably be joined by fellow Orange Walkeño Servulo Baeza. Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay–who will not vote until the Senate meets–is also prepared to lose his job over the issue. Another minister long placed in the “maybe” category has today gone on record as ready to vote no. But Jose Coye is doing more than just telegraphing his vote. In a phone conversation with our newsroom this afternoon, Coye said that he is urging the Prime Minister to postpone Friday’s vote in order to take time to genuinely listen to what the nation is saying. According to Coye, there are level headed, patriotic, and reasonable people in both parties who honestly believe that the Prime Minister’s course of action is not in the nation’s best interests. He suggests that it’s time for his party to humble itself and regain the people’s trust. And if the P.M. doesn’t follow that advice? “If the motion comes to a vote on Friday, I cannot support it,” said Coye.
