Who’s got the purse strings? P.U.P. has new agenda
The People’s United Party has launched its Village Council election agenda entitled True Development. The brief ceremony took place today at Independence Hall and featured addresses from P.U.P. leaders from the North, South, East and West of the country. But while the development agenda was on the table, the discussion was all about reality, and the reality is that the United Democratic Party is in power and holds the purse strings. Both P.U.P. Chairman Henry Charles Usher and Deputy Leader Julius Espat addressed that issue, stating that holding the purse-strings does not necessarily translate into development, and there needs to be change NOW.
Henry Charles Usher, P.U.P. Chairman
“The Village councils are supposed to be run on a non-partisan way; there are not supposed to be P.U.P. slates, U.D.P. slates—party slates going forward. In fact you are nominated and given a number and the persons that vote, vote by numbers. However, we have seen in 2007, in 2010 and even more so this year that the U.D.P. has made this thing a political issue. They are the ones going around saying that they are going to form U.D.P. slates and they are the ones that have published saying this dah wah U.D.P. village. They have had U.D.P. conventions in these villages. The same way they have had the name caretakers for certain constituencies, they have actually named caretakers in villagers; totally turning this thing into a political issue. And I have been traveling countrywide in the past few weeks, visiting with villagers. And they have been telling me that U.D.P.s come into their village and say listen, if you don’t elect a U.D.P. village council, this village will get punish. That is what is going on countrywide. So they are the ones that are making this thing political.”
Julius Espat, P.U.P. Deputy Leader
Henry Charles Usher
“There is a misconception also ladies and gentlemen that you vote for a village council when that government is in power because then you will be able to access the resources from government. The example of Cayo South is that for the last five years, since 2008, you have had U.D.P. representation as area representatives. That changed in 2012. And subsequently you had village council—all the thirteen villages of Cayo South are red village councils in their books. And the villagers of Cayo South have received zero help from government. So what we are telling people on the ground is that irrespective if the U.D.P. are in government or not, it doesn’t mean that you will get the help because the experience has shown that that has not translated into help and certain things for the communities.”
Henry Charles Usher
“We can’t really change anything in the village council act unless and until the P.U.P. is the party in government. However, the P.U.P. has always led the conversation when it comes to changing anything in this country. We want to lead the conversation, we want to say that this is the way forward and this is how all villages should be operated. We need to give the autonomy and the responsibility to the elected representatives of these villagers. Not area representatives, not ministers to go and do works in the villages that they want to win or the caretakers. To issue lands to cronies or persons that will say they are U.D.P. supporters. No man, this is about giving autonomy and we might not be able to do it until we are in government, but let’s start the conversation now.”
The use of government vehicle to go partying in the country and Mexico, run personal errand, driven by unauthorized people, to transport alcohol for friends, and the selling of disel from public works is all common to me. I have seen them in both parties. Unfortunately when the PUP was in power cell phone cameras was not readily available. The UDP is caught in this new tech era in Belize butBelize me the PUP will be caught on cell cameras as well.
UDP and PUP are the same dog with different spots. Both have driven the country toward the bottom as fast as they are able to steal.
We need honest civic and church leaders to organize an alternative party, composed of honest patriots, to start to won back control of the government for the good of honest Belizeans and our children.
A reform party does not need to win the Prime Minster’s spot right away in order to change how the nation is governed. A minor party that controls the balance of seats, just enough to add to one of the other parties to form a majority, can have big influence and change how business is done in Belmopan.
THE TIME TO BEGIN IS TODAY! With so many church leaders talking to each other because of the Unibam case, I hope they will keep talking and lead the country out of the mess it is in.
It is easy to sum up. The Government of Belize : 1) wants to create a national bank and deposit all the country’s money there; 2) has create a company, BIL, to manage all the country’s infrastructure and resource; 3) has begun advertising the Reporter as the national newspaper (Love TV). We add it all up, the Government is wants to centralize all our resources. They are paying the way for communism.
ALL THESE PRES CONFERENCE ARE A JOKE, WHEN PUP IN POWER THEY DON’T GIVE A !@#$%@$$ ABOUT WHAT THE PEOPLE THINK AND FEEL, BUT NOW BECASUE THEY ARE THE OPPOSITION CURENTTLY THEY THINK THEY ARE SAINTS!!!! HAHAHAH ALL OF A SUDDEN PUP ARE SPOTLESS, FOOL THE TALK BUT DAH NO FOOL THE LISTEN.
BOTH PUP AND UDP ARE THE SAME, WOLVES IN SHEEP CLOTHING!!!!!!!
In agreement. PUP villages are being punished by Dean “the King” Borrow. Ask Rene Montero, Cayo Central rep. Rene Montero is also punishing all PUPs in Cayo Central.
I have lived with a disablity in Belize for the past 10 years. very few businesses have reserved parking for disabled persons. it is starting to improve very slowly. i do my shopping at Brodies Northern Highway on Sundays because they have reserved parking for disabled persons close to the entrance. this Sunday however the spot was taken up my Minister Boots Martinez big fancy red pickup truck. his driver sitting in the vehicle grinning from ear to ear. so after hobbling with my cane to ask the security at the entrance why the spot was taken by the Minister. the security said the minister told him to F$%# Off. ONLY IN BELIZE.
ps. why don’t you start a picture of the week section for newsfive to document these things,
Anony-mouse, you forgot BEL and BTL. Both of which, by the way, we have to assume will have to deposit all their money into the new national bank (well, BTL anyway….BEL bruk).
Poor PUP ministers make me laugh. Now that they have all odds against them, now that they don’t have money, now that they are not in government they want to change things becuase they fear to take another licking. They know they will lose the village councils so they want the UDP to play clean when THEY WERE IN POWER THEY NEVER THOUGHT OF PLAYING CLEAN. THEY DID AS THEY WISHED!!! come on Julius, come on Henry stop the cry and get yourselves to work!
These guys are pathetic! Resign and move out if you cannot put up a fight don’t look for excuses.