Much speculation and a good degree of anticipation surrounds the UDP sponsored citizen's protest planned for tomorrow in Belize City. The big question is whether the UDP can pull a big enough crowd to send a message not only to Belmopan but to the wider public to demonstrate that it is politically robust and viable. Our information suggests that the party will put out a major effort, mobilizing over 100 buses for its supporters. And while the supporters and those just coming into town for Saturday shopping and a free lunch are one thing, the real test of the party credibility will be the number of regular non political citizens it can attract to the anti-government effort. True, it will be a telling day, and for a preview, we turned to UDP Party Leader Dean Barrow.
Hon. Dean Barrow, UDP Leader
“Keith I think it is going to be a huge showing. We will have the traditional support from the districts buts what’s unusual is that all indications make clear that the turnout from Belize City will be unprecedently large.”
Keith Swift,
If we do see the large turnout that you are expecting, does that mean big money is involved?
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“It is costing us a pretty penny but I have to pay tribute to people from all walks of life but in particular the business people who have contributed. There’s been no person, no business house we have approached who actually said no and so we are going to be able to take care of our expenses.”
Keith Swift,
Is a large financier involved?
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“That’s absolutely untrue. We’ve collected from hundreds of persons: small donations, medium size donations, and no really big donations.”
Keith Swift,
Is this a UDP demonstration?
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“It is a UDP-sponsored demonstration. There is no getting away from that but it is not a partisan UDP demonstration and that is why the unions and so many other entities have agreed to support us. We have said to our own people, our party members, please come with the Belizean flag not with your party flag or UDP colors. Of course there will be some who will nonetheless insist on flying the UDP flag but I think we have been able to convince certainly the unions and civil society that we have genuinely tried to project this as a people’s protest.”
Keith Swift,
Are you wasting all this resource, all this manpower, money, and organization on a short-term kill?
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“Fair question but I think the answer is clearly no because I’m saying that the short-term gain is also the long term gain in that here it is that the elizean people are showing that they are able to stand up, they are able to come together across partisan lines in order to register a protest in support of our democracy.”
Keith Swift,
What’s the beef? Ralph Fonseca has been moved from Finance, Cabinet has been shuffled, and Narda Garcia has met with the press…
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“Except poor Narda didn’t do a very good job and that’s perhaps no fault of hers. But, no, remember that the UDP and SPEAR and the Chamber of Commerce and I believe the unions and Business Bureau have all said that the government must give to the people an independent inquiry into what has happened, full disclosure of all that’s taking place at SSB, and must appropriately punish those that are responsible. The government has not yet conceded even one of those demands and that is why in particular, there are all sorts of other reasons, that is why people are marching tomorrow. That is why the turnout is going to be so huge.”
And while that's what Barrow hopes for, how will it really go? Well you can find out on Monday when we'll have coverage of the event.