It caused quite a stir on morning radio when "first 'ting da mawnin" on wave radio broke out with a recording of prime minister Said Musa and home affairs minister Ralph Fonseca. Both men were speaking to the Belize Rural Central and Rural North committees on the night of Thursday, August 26th. The meeting was part of a mini-tour by the prime minister which took him to the Dangriga, Punta Gorda and Corozal to shore up support after the politically ugly fallout with the G7.
So while it was a pep rally for party faithful, it was an event more intimate and consequential than a public meeting because both men were speaking to the divisional generals who may have been dispirited by the infighting. And even in the context of political
hyperbole, the remarks are revealing, both for pm Musa's public coddling of minister Fonseca, and for Fonseca's unguarded hostility to the G7. here's a brief sampling of those remarks:
Hon. Ralph Fonseca
"When I heard about this thing I almost said F-You to the whole bunch of them. I don't need this. Put me back in my office, in Miami, Panama, Monte Video and Cuba so I can continue to make a lot of money and Canada."
Hon. Said Musa
"I maintain absolute and full confidence in the honourable Ralph Fonseca."
"So nobody is going to affect the friendship and the love that I have for Ralph Fonseca."
And while Fonseca has chosen Belmopan instead of those financial capitals, in his address to the crowd, the prime minister also downplayed the importance of the impending rally which was two days away:
Hon. Said Musa
"They will have a little demonstration here on Saturday but that will soon pass. That will blow over just like a little breeze."
We assume the prime minister changed his opinion after the rally when he issued a statement saying that he understood the concern of those persons who were protesting.
And if you're wondering how the tape come to light. Well, Fonseca asked a local media house to set up a public address system and record the event. That recording was made on a computer, stayed on that computer until it was later obtained by the UDP and the rest is history.
But today, a senior government representative deflected the fallout by alleging that the tape had been manipulated for political effect. He said there were lots of splices and edits to give meanings that were not intended. He also warned that the opposition is engaging in a dangerous and irresponsible game. The UDP has promised to publicize more clippings of the event.