On June 17th in the House of Representatives, rebel PUP backbencher Mark Espat coruscated his government for being nothing more than playthings of puppet master Michael Ashcroft. It was a memorable tirade because not only did Espat attack his government but he took on the man who is the single biggest private player in Belize. And so what does the master in Espat's master-puppet relationship think of the attack? Well we asked Michael Ashcroft yesterday when he toured West Street. We'll have Ashcroft's reply but first to put it in context. Here's a small sampling of the withering 37-minute attack.
Mark Espat, PUP Albert Area Representative
[June 17th, 2005] "For 15 years now the Carlisle Group of companies, led by Mr. Michael Ashcroft and sporting various disguises such as the Belize Bank, the Belize Holdings and more recently, Mercury Investments, Pillow Talk and E?Com, has pursued a scorched earth campaign to gain control of Belize's most profitable public company? BTL.
Throughout this conspiracy to control and suck dry BTL and its Belizean consumers, it would appear that this government has been an all too willing accomplice. As it has appeared to the Belizean people, that I speak to, the relationship between the conspirator and his accomplice is a 'Master?Puppet' relationship.
But make no mistake about it, only one person wins every time BTL's shares change hands. Mr. Carlisle wins. And only one people lose, the Belizean people lose. GOB sells BTL shares at a discount? Mr. Carlisle wins. GOB buys BTL shares at a premium? Mr. Carlisle wins again. GOB now sells BTL shares at a discount? Mr. Carlisle wins yet again. "
Keith Swift,
Couple weeks ago in the House of Representatives Former Minister Mark Espat called you the master and GOB the puppet. What is your response to his statement?
Michael Ashcroft,
Well I think Mark Espat is with Cordel, two aspiring politicians in Belize who I understand are trying to form a third party or trying to negotiate to go back into the PUP government on certain terms and/or joining the UDP. And I think they've had discussions everywhere in order to find their direction. They must do and portray any populist measure that they believe is appropriate for them as politicians. They are perfectly free in a democracy to be able to vice their views as they feel that they need to do in this political environment. The fact that I don't agree with the definition is totally irrelevant."
Keith Swift,
Was there any truth to anything he said?
Michael Ashcroft,
"Well its like most things in politics: you take a grain of truth and you spin it and twist it to your own political needs and demands. And therefore at times its very difficult to go through a long and rambling speech and say 'that little bit is correct' and 'that little bit is not correct.' But the general thrust of what he was saying, I would take issue with it. And Mark of course was in the PUP Cabinet for most of the time and (he) took part in and agreed with most of the decisions at the time. So I am not sure whether that speech was also a speech by Mark apologizing for his past behavior. It was a little confusing and rambling."
We assume that the "grain of truth" Ashcroft referred to is the compelling breakdown Espat offered where he illustrated that of the multinational corporation Carlisle's US$33.6 million in profit, US$31 million or 92% of it came from the Belize Bank.
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