And while Musa spoke for a strong party and strong government, today he could boast that, in fact, he wrote the book on it because the party launched a collection of its party leaders speeches. As we found out, for a party adept at self-historicization, the selected speeches of Said Musa is part of the process.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
With true blue flamboyance the party faithful gathered to launch the latest addition to the party's mounting collection of self-promotional books. This one is a collection of speeches by the Prime Minister and Leader of the PUP, Said Musa. Godfrey Smith is the book's editor.
Godfrey Smith, Editor
"It's a book that captures the ideas, opinions, thinking, and philosophy of Said Musa and the PUP government as demonstrated through speeches and addresses in many different for a. So the thinking is that a Prime Minister and leader makes hundreds of decisions on a daily basis and there's very little time, because certainly interviews don't do it and press conferences don't do it, to understand what drives his mind; what are his core values, what are his thinking, what is the philosophical basis that drives his decision making. And I think that for those who are interested in that kind of objective analysis, that kind of analysis from a historical perspective, the speeches provide a wonderful opportunity for students, youths, public officers, researchers, historians, and international observers to read and study the ideas and thinking of the man who occupies the most preeminent position in Belize."
And while the book may offer insight into the driving force and the thinking of a man who's been prime minister for the past 7 years, Musa says he finds the publication flattering.
Said Musa, Prime Minister of Belize
"You know the song by Bob Dylan, 'how does it feel,' the only trouble is the next line is, 'to be on your own,' well I don't feel I'm on my own. I feel today is a very special day for the People's United Party on a whole and I would say Belize as well because it gives us an opportunity to reflect on the struggle over the past fifty five years as a party. This book in a sense
is dealing with the contemporary period and its bringing out not only the thoughts of Said Musa but indeed the collective wisdom of the party in government, because I didn't write it all by myself I had to glean from ideas of several colleagues. So I would say I am honored and humbled by the experience of today."
Honored and humbled but a publication like this has the sense of a publicity stunt orchestrated to display the party's largesse. According to the editor, that kind of self-promotion is a function of a successful institution.
Godfrey Smith,
"That's how you build a party, that's how you build a country; you have to have institutions. You have to have institutional memory and that is mainly what the book is about, putting in one central place the ideas, thinkings, and expressions of the leader of the political party of which I am a member of, and which I am proud to be a member of. I don't see that as any real ego stroking, its just something that should be done, ought to be done, by anybody in any country."
Said Musa,
"It certainly is not stroking my ego, it was put together by Minister Godfrey Smith and others around him He caught me completely by surprise when he mentioned to me that this is what he was doing. As I said I am deeply appreciative and I thank them for putting this together. I think people have a right to see exactly what I have been saying and to judge me accordingly to see whether my words fit my actions. So in a sense its not a ego stroke but rather putting myself to the test of the judgement of the people."
Godfrey Smith,
"We certainly didn't use any government money or the money of any statutory body. I can debunk that right away and say that the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan, the Taiwanese, assisted us in putting it together as part of institutional strengthening."
The book is available at the Image Factory Book Store. Paperback is $40 and hard cover is $50.
