Francis Fonseca was today sworn in as Leader of the Opposition in the House and five days ago he took over the mantle of the P.U.P. Fonseca is a former minister of government. On Wednesday he shared with us his platform moving forward in the P.U.P. and his passions as a leader. Francis Fonseca, Leader […]
For weeks, there has been a guessing game as to who would be the heir to the U.D.P. throne in Caribbean Shores. Minster Carlos Perdomo today finally admitted that he would not seek a second term. And while he made an endorsement, Prime Minister Dean Barrow said Caribbean Shores is open for convention. Last week, […]
All possible candidates for the division have until next Wednesday to formally apply to contest the December fourth convention. Both Santi Castillo and Perdomo’s favorite were present at today’s press conference. Mike Singh is the brother of Police Minister Doug, and he has held top-level positions in Beltraide and the Tourism Ministry. But is Perdomo’s […]
But will there be early general elections? When the consultations on the Ninth Amendment began, supporters of the P.U.P. were calling for elections. Those sentiments have been echoed by the Opposition at House meetings. And after the PM’s Independence Day speech, the ante went up that early elections were on the table. In the past […]
The engines are beginning to rev as the political season cranks up and speculation is rife that an early election will be called. There are changes in both the P.U.P. and the U.D.P. We start with the United Democratic Party, which is sorting out representation in one area that seemingly will soon be up for […]
On the other side of the political fence, the People’s United Party has now installed Freetown Area Representative Francis Fonseca as its new leader. This Saturday, the party is going into high gear with a convention to elect its official slate of councilor candidates for the 2012 Municipal Elections. Led by former director of the […]
But it was political in Belize City when John Briceño handed over the baton of the People’s United Party to Francis Fonseca on Saturday following Briceño’s sudden resignation on October seventh and Albert’s Mark Espat’s decision to decline leadership. There are two major hurdles to cross: the finances of the party said to be in […]
Francis’ baptism as party leader was done metaphorically in hot water at the Parish Hall. He has months to secure finances for municipal as well as spearhead the upcoming General Elections. In the eventuality, the Prime Minister decides on an early election, Francis must also mediate and bridge rivaling factions within the P.U.P. How will […]
In news in the U.D.P., while he had denied stepping down, all indications are that the Caribbean Shores Minister, Carols Perdomo, will not seek a second term. Perdomo was elected in convention last year, but because of health issues, he will be stepping down. As we told you last week, there are many in the […]
As we reported on Wednesday night, Minister Carlos Perdomo is calling it quits. Even though on December sixth, 2010, he handily beat Councilor Roger Espejo and was re-elected to run in the affluent Caribbean Shores constituency, Perdomo is stepping down and will not contest the next general elections. Aside from ministerial scandals in immigration and […]
In news from Belmopan, there is a major political move in the United Democratic Party. Word to News Five is that Minister of Defence and Immigration, Carlos Perdomo, is stepping out of the political arena. Perdomo, who is the area rep for Caribbean Shores has had a stormy tenure as a minister. He was stung […]
Just after the four o’clock this afternoon, the ninth Amendment Bill to the constitution, which was touted around the country in a highly politicized road show, came to pass. The governments super majority in the House, all twenty-four voted yah, there were three no’s from the Opposition’s side, and one abstention from Orange Walk East […]
The P.U.P. held a meeting at Independence Hall in Belize City in which it was decided that Fort George Area Representative Said Musa would appear as Leader of the Opposition for today’s House Meeting. But Musa did not receive a majority support from three of the elected parliamentarians and so today there was no Leader […]
The new Leader of the P.U.P. will be Francis Fonseca. Fonseca will be officially installed on October twenty ninth. But the Freetown Area Representative, even though he only had the company of Said Musa and Florencio Marin Junior, rose to give his perspective on the ninth. Unlike the trashing that Barrow eventually gave to Musa, […]
The House meeting could not have concluded without the usual mudslinging. As we said earlier in the newscast, Barrow was kind to Fonseca but saved his trashing for Fort George Area Representative Said Musa and the unaffiliated Marcel Cardona. It was vintage Barrow as he pointed out that the three absent P.U.P. representatives did not […]
The injunction to stop the ninth amendment from becoming law until after a referendum was rejected this morning by the Supreme Court. We’ll tell you more on this later, including a last minute attempt to reverse that ruling. There was also another move to take the bill to a referendum before it is passed and […]
At the heart of the ninth amendment is the nationalization of Telemedia. The company was acquired twice by the government, which has now entrenched its ownership in the constitution. Compensation, however, has not been paid to its previous owners. Barrow told the House today that he had acquired an economic consulting firm, NERA, to value […]
While the government conducted the business of the day inside the House, outside, hundreds of supporters were mobilized to show solidarity for the passage of the Ninth Amendment, which Prime Minister Dean Barrow says is the ultimate policy statement of his administration. Opposition this time around was virtually non-existent as the few supporters brought in […]
Before noon today, the People’s United Party decided on its new leader following tumultuous days of uncertainty that placed the sixty-one year old party at its lowest ebb. Three candidates; Julius Espat, Mike Espat and Arthur Saldivar, presented their names after Mark Espat declined on Tuesday. This morning they bowed out of the race as […]
The man of the hour P.U.P. Freetown Area Representative Francis Fonseca made a statement on the way forward for the P.U.P. minutes after the announcement. Fonseca clarified that he was not passed over as interim leader, because he supported Espat in that role. Fonseca told the media what he had already said inside independence hall, […]
So on Friday, Francis Fonseca, Said Musa, and Florencio Marin Junior will be leading the oppositions’ charge in the House on the ninth amendment. Indications are that former party leader John Briceño and Cordel Hyde and Mark Espat will not be in Belmopan. Political postulating aside, the finances of the PUP are said to be […]
But it is not all that simple in the P.U.P. While the issue of leadership has been settled, up to late this evening, Briceño, Espat and Hyde maintained that they will not be supporting Musa, the former prime minister as the leader of the opposition in the House. The National Executive of the P.U.P. this […]
The third cohort of the women in politics project kicked off today at the Whitfield Tower on Coney Drive. Eighteen women from all walks of life will receive training on the rigors of electoral politics. News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports. Delahnie Bain, Reporting More women are stepping up to challenge of taking on the world […]
As we reported on Tuesday night, there is a leadership crisis in the People’s United Party; it continues to spiral out of control. Here is where the party stands right now. On Tuesday after Interim Leader Mark Espat declared he will not seek election as leader, the only candidate was Arthur Saldivar. Saldivar was seen […]
While Henry Usher says there will be a leader of the opposition in the House on Friday, the situation is as follows. Just before Mark Espat announced he would not contest the leadership, John Briceño officially wrote to the Governor General formally demitting office as opposition leader. The procedure is for the Governor General to […]
