After suffering two successive defeats at general elections polls the United Democratic Party is once again trying to pick up the pieces to re-assert themselves as a formidable political opponent to the present ruling People's United Party. But with very little in the way of financing and with even less persons willing to carry the party's banner and message across the UDP is trying to re-establish credibility. Today it held a press conference in which it began by driving the message that "there is a better way."
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
The banner claimed it all there is a better way and the United Democratic Party today used the press conference forum to drive this new message home giving the always difficult impression that the restructuring of the party has once again begun. Today it came in the face of Carlos Perdomo who’ll become the new national party coordinator.
Hon. Dean Barrow, UDP Leader
“The UDP has been pleased to acquire the services of the new national coordinator in the person of Mr. Carlos Perdomo. Carlos comes to the United Democratic Party extremely highly qualified.”
Carlos Perdomo, UDP National Coordinator
“It is with great honor that I take on this new task. For me it is just one other way of serving the country of Belize.”
And that means that Perdomo will be in charge of making the UDP once again strive to become a political party that is ready for political contention.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“...Of reorganizing the party in order to prepare us for in particular the upcoming municipal elections which should be in March of the year 2006. But generally so that we might become fighting fit, we concede that of this particular juncture we are not exactly there yet. We recognize that we have perhaps fallen down terribly where public relations is concerned, where communicating with people is concerned. What the Chairman unveiled this morning, the start of the ‘there is a better way’ campaign, is meant to remedy the shortcomings of the UDP that we freely acknowledge. The timing of the ‘there is a better way’ UDP campaign is not fortuitous, we felt that there was a particular urgent need to try to marry now in the UDP the positive agenda with the protest agenda.”
An agenda that the UDP says will be brought to bear in the coming weeks when the party is organizing to demonstrate against what it sees as the abuses of government.
Douglas Singh,
“We intend to meet as a party to come up with a date to have a general protest against the tax increases, against the abuse of social security funds and the loans of these social security funds to individuals, the high cost of fuel, and the increase of living generally across the board. We invite the public out there to join with us.”
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“The need for the protest agenda is perhaps more urgent than ever but we need to signal clearly that this is not a one note samba; that the UDP is serious not just about continuing to catalog the ills that beset us and continuing to point out all that government is doing wrong but to make the point by way of tangible action that the UDP is able to offer an alternative.”
But with general elections still off in the horizon the alternative will come only in the municipal elections that are also just under two years away.
After party council meetings in the coming weeks the national demonstration will take place, a venue and a time are yet to be decided.