"Send a message to Belmopan" - it's an old chorus and it seems not one that very many people want to sing.
Today a crowd of about 300 responded to the UDP's call to join in a protest against the Prime Minister and what the opposition sees as a troubled state of affairs. True, not many responded, but no one can accuse the UDP of rallying a rent a crowd. In fact party leaders were satisfied with the modest, voluntary crowd and its militant message.
Keith Swift Reporting,
There were led by the big names - former Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel, UDP Leader Dean Barrow, party whip Michael Finnegan, and other party execs. There were the signs and placards and then there was the message, which not even the threat of dark clouds could quiet.
Hon. Dean Barrow, UDP Leader
"People out here noh happy and we are trying to let them know that people are most unhappy and things have got to change."
Manuel Esquivel,
"We've made it very clear that is a people's demonstration of frustration and anger at what's happening in country. To have brought our country to its knees, in such a short space of time is disgraceful."
Hon. Patrick Faber,
"All the selling of assets, corruption, crooked deals, new taxes, so we are out here telling this government we are not satisfied and they must do better."
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
"We are sending a message loud and clear that people have had enough, they believe government policies are detrimental to them and the message is that if better is not done the repercussions will be hard at them on any given election day."
And that message just wasn't coming from the UDP, a rare coalition of employees from print houses such as the Angelus Press and BRC showed up with placards in hand.
Gertrude Joseph, Printer's Coalition
"Because we believe there is unfair competition because Print Belize is not officially off the government roster and we think that they are going to privatize then they need to be fair about privatization."
Keith Swift,
"The next general election won't be for another 4 years but with the energy and frustration exhibited today you would think it's tomorrow. So the question is can the UDP sustain this?"
Dean Barrow,
"Absolutely because things are not going to get any better. The country is going through a crisis and these people don't have the solutions."
Hon. John Saldivar,
"This is a new UDP with new leadership, new people onboard, and people who want to work for Belize so I think we can keep this up til the next election which I don't think will be too far off."
Keith Swift,
"As a former prime minister what does a demonstration like this tell you so early in your term?"
Manuel Esquivel,
"It says that you had 5 years to lay the groundwork, we gave you another 5 to correct the wrongs and you are just making it worse."
And government might not listen but they certainly took heed of today's march. Apart from the 50 police officers including Assistant Commissioner of Police Gerald Westby and a police cameraman who kept demonstrators in check - there was more. An army of dragon unit officers led by another assistant commissioner of police - Maureen Leslie barricaded prime minister Said Musa's Gabourel Lane office. They were backed up by color-coordinated members of pup's Belize youth movement. And then there were the PUP insiders who looked on from the second level. The situation was ripe for a confrontation.
There was no violence and it turned out to be a good exercise in democracy but bigger than democracy them big question is whether the few hundreds today were able to send a sufficient message to the ivory towers in Belmopan.
The Prime Minister stayed in his office locked away form the sight if not the sound of the picketers. Sounding a bit more smug than convincing, he said he didn't get the message, but had a message of his own for party supporters.
Hon. Said Musa, Prime Minister
"I didn't get any message. You can't create disillusionment in the mind of people by simply saying 'you should be disillusioned and so many things are going wrong.' Yes we are going through hard times but the people out there know the government is doing ev4rything to address the issues we are faced with."
"I would say to party supporters and members that we have, to even while governing, recognize that information and communication is very key. I believe if we have faltered it is due in large part to our failure to communicate with the people."