And while Espat says he'll work even with those G7'ers who spurned him, for Cordel Hyde, the script is slightly different. He was never fired from the Cabinet, he walked the plank voluntarily after the Prime Minister threw Espat overboard. Today he told us that he's learned a lot, but if he had to, he'd do it all over again.
Jules Vasquez,
The situation with you is the not the same as with Mr. Espat; you were not fired, you chose to resign. Arguably if I am a Lake I voter I can say, 'why you did you put us through that, for nothing? To go back to the same thing, on the same terms, with the same taxes that you criticized.' How would you respond to that?
Hon. Cordel Hyde,
"As you rightly said, on December 28th I opted to decline the Prime Minister's invitation to be a part of his Cabinet on the matter of principle. Mt constituents supported that then, they understood clearly why I did what I did and they have stood with me over the last ten months; struggling together, making huge sacrifices. But I am a politician, I am responsible to these 6,200 constituents of mine, and at the end of the day I have to do what is best for them. If you ask them if do they want me to be on the outside with them complaining or do they want me to be on the inside struggling, trying to make the right decisions, trying to help them improve their standard of living, they will choose the latter anytime. And I must say to you my constituents, in fact they have given me the direction because they are the ones who I take directions from and they have said very clearly to me that you have two options. In fact one elderly lady said it best, she said you only have two options: it's either blue or you but red is not an option. I am not saying to my constituents that this is a happy ending, that this is any little house on the prairie. I am saying to them that this is an uneasy arrangement at best but it is the opportunity we have to try to work on their behalf and they think that this is the right move to make at this time."
Jules Vasquez,
How do you square yourselves with the budget which you had said to Keith Swift on January 21st, when the House meeting had to be called early because of security concerns, you had said that you would have resigned anyway when this new budget was passed because so strongly did you feel that it does an injustice against your constituency; it burdens the poor purposely and lets the rich escape. How now do you re-enter a Cabinet which is working everyday to implement and execute the policies, aims, and objectives that were contained in this budget?
Hon. Cordel Hyde,
"Well I never resigned from the party, what I was doing was expressing the concerns, the wishes, the feelings, and articulating those concerns of my constituency. That was how they felt about that particular budget and my job as an area representative at the time as a backbencher is to give voice to the concerns of my people and that was their concern, that this budget unfairly punished them and that it did not come hard enough on those who are supposed to pay, those who have benefited from the more robust years of the PUP administration, and so I only gave voice to their concerns but we have punished together. It's been a hard ten month. My people are saying to me that we need to do more, that we can do more, that we made out point, that we are prepared to stand up against the things that are wrong for us and we are prepared to stand up for the things that are right for us. Btu like I said I am a politician and I take my directions from my constituents and this is what they want me to do."
Jules Vasquez,
But at the end of the day supporters of the PUP should not have to be so desperate, so needy, that they fiercer you in a position which it can be argued is unprincipled or at least is confusing, that you must be a acrobat to talk like this or act like that. Why were the people of Lake Independence left out in the cold? Is the PUP that heartless? Does it feel so little for its supporters?
Hon. Cordel Hyde,
"Well I think the struggle within the PUP, particularly recently, has been to try to get them on the right track, trying to get them to recommit to their creed, their philosophy, that they are for the people at the base of the economic pyramid. I said so earlier and I'll say so again, this Party in the recent past has not always lived up to its creed and the challenge is to get them on the right path. Its not going to be easy, like I said this is an uneasy arrangement at best. A lot of things have changed over time but I think where serving the people at the base of the economic pyramid is concerned, that hasn't been done and that has to be done and I think that is where Mark and myself come in. that is the role we have to play, to agitate within the PUP, whether it is around the Cabinet table or whether its around the table for the National Executive of the Party to get them to recommit to what they stood for fifty years ago, what has made them successful over all these years, and what will ultimately make them successful."
Jules Vasquez,
Earlier this year you said that the government is saying forget about social justice and equity, forget about the poor, we need the money but we can't tax the rich. You have alluded to this earlier in your conversation but will you make a commitment to force the government to tax those who need to be taxed and if that fails, where do you go? Are you back at the same spot?
Hon. Cordel Hyde,
"Jules as I said I've always remained consistent on that position. I've always said that the people I represent are at the base of the economic pyramid. I've never strayed away from that, I've never been inconsistent with that, and I will continue to be. If that puts me in a position where I am diametrically opposed to my colleagues, as I've been there before, then I will have to do what I'll have to do. But I think the last ten months have made us stronger in character, has reinforced to us that our constituents will support us whichever way we go, and that all they want is for us to give voice to their concerns; to give voice to the things that bother them and to give voice to the things that they need. So that is our task and that is a duty and a responsibility that I take very seriously."
Jules Vasquez,
So if those ideals and objectives can't be met, or in your opinion aren't being met, are you prepared to walk away again or have you realized from this that change must come from within and being outside you can't do much?
Hon. Cordel Hyde,
"Jules I've never shied away from making tough decisions and I will continue to stand up and to represent my people. And if in representing my people I have to make tough decisions, as I've said, my people are prepared to stand with me as long as I explain to them what we are doing and why we are doing what we are doing. I am not going to shy away from making any tough decisions."
Jules Vasquez,
Looking back now at the past, at ten months, was it all worth it? Was it worth it resigning as you said at the time on principle?
Hon. Cordel Hyde,
"We've learnt a lot Jules. I think I've grown quite a lot over the last ten months as a representative, as a man. I think our constituents have learnt that we have to fight for the things we believe in because nothing comes easily and I think that's the greater lesson to the greater Belize, that you can't sit back and expect that anything will come easily to you. You can't expect a government to do the right thing all the time, you have to be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice and has it been worth it, I think it has. I think that our government has made some changes."
Jules Vasquez,
If you had to make that decision again, remain in the game or step out principle, right now would you make that decision?
Hon. Cordel Hyde,
"In a minute, in a minute."
The restored ministers are expected to settle into their new portfolios next week and should get their restored minister's salaries by mid month. The difference between a representative's salary and a minister's salary is about 100%; it goes from $36,000 to about $80,000 per annum.
