P.U.P. Leader demanding apology from PM Barrow

Mark King

Last Thursday, Minister of State Mark King told the media that his government looks after U.D.P. first, Belizeans second and P.U.P. last. While those words are likely true, in this case honesty may not have been the best policy. King’s comments have gone viral. By Friday, the People’s United Party fired off a release calling the comments, and not so subtly Mark King, ignorant and arrogant. P.U.P. Leader, Francis Fonseca, today told News Five that he is demanding an apology from Prime Minister Dean Barrow.

Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader

Francis Fonseca

“I think all Belizeans should be offended, whether you are P.U.P. or even U.D.P. you should be offended by the fact that this Minister of State representing the U.D.P. government is saying that we will decide who gets what in this country and we will decide who eats first. It’s absolutely disgraceful…I describe the comments as both ignorant and arrogant. But regrettably his comments are consistent with the actions and words of this U.D.P. government…very consistent. The latest example Belizeans will recall is this whole Mother’s Day Program where the government made it clear that the only mothers who matter in this country are U.D.P. mothers. That was effectively the message being sent by the leader of our country to the country…saying that if you’re a P.U.P. mother you don’t count, saying that if you’re not somebody who one of my U.D.P. representatives considers a supporter then to hell with you, you don’t matter. So it’s consistent with the leadership of our country, it’s consistent with the leadership of the U.D.P.  Mr. Barrow sets the tone, he sets the example and he is the one who I hold accountable. As we said in the release I call on him to apologize on behalf of his Minister of State because we’ve come to expect that kind of nonsense and ignorance from Mark King, but we expect the leader of our country to know better and we expect him to apologize on behalf of Mark King, apologize on behalf of his government and to set the record straight and to say no, that is not the Belize we want to live in.”

The Southern Caucus of the P.U.P. today issued a release condemning King’s statements. But that body goes further to state that where the NCL project is concerned, Chairman of the Cabinet Investment Sub-committee Senator Godwin Hulse has given credibility to King’s comments. The release denounces what it calls, “a purely partisan approach for all future distribution of contracts, employment and other opportunities that may arise from the NCL project.”