Earlier you saw the PUP's show in the morning, and in the afternoon, the UDP had its chance to match or outdo. So did they? Well, though the nomination show is a numbers game, according to the UDP, strong numbers does not mean strong support. Jules Vasquez has that explanation and a few other angles on the Opposition's show at nomination day.
Jules Vasquez Reporting, [jules.Vasquez@gmail.com]
This afternoon at 1:30, the UDP congregated on the Youth For the Future Boulevard in front of their headquarters. A sea of flags covered the area with UDP city leaders Dean Barrow and Michael Finnegan At the front was of course Zenaida Moya seeming to welcome all alacrity on her birthday. Wilfred Elrington brought up the rear.
At its start the parade was spirited but the numbers not overwhelming, and to lengthen the procession, the party organized a motorcade procession with
close to two dozen vehicles And while the supporters did swell across Vernon Street, it was smaller than the PUP from any angle. And as they delivered their candidates to the Complex Building with spirited chants of "all the way," the candidates and nominators entered the heavily guarded compound in time for one last victory chant.
Candidates: "UDP 11 for Change Now"
First to be nominated was mayoral candidate Zenaida Moya who was nominated by her mother Erlean Jones, a moment for this first time politician but it's just one breather in a long two weeks haul to the finish line.
Zenaida Moya,
"We will continue with our house to house campaign and I must say that that is the we are going to win the elections, going to house to house. This is the sprint to March 1st and our team is motivated and as I told you, I am sure the advertisements will be in your face but we the candidates will also be out there really showing people that we are there and we are there to continue listening. We have been campaigning since last year. From September we have been campaigning just about everyday so I must say that we are tired, we are a bit tired but it is great and we are motivated and our adrenaline is really in a rush. Everyday we meet all our supporters and our fans."
But does Moya and her UDP team have as many "fans" as the PUP?
Jules Vasquez,
What's your feeling about the crowd out here today or the marc that you all had coming out here?
Hon. Dean Barrow, UDP Leader
"It's a big boost, it's a big momentum, we are happy with the turnout. We think it was all around a great show."
Jules Vasquez,
Certainly you did not see the PUP event this morning but I know Mr. Finnegan did and certainly it is the view of those who saw both that you were easily outsized and outmatched by the PUP.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"I didn't see the PUP parade as you say but I can't dispute that, that might well be true, but I make the point again that everybody who was here came voluntarily without any kind of inducement, without any kind of consideration."
Jules Vasquez,
Ms. Moya are you concerned that that PUP crowd this morning, which I don't imagine you saw, but we that did see it, it seems to have clearly outsized your crowd.
Is that an issue of concern to you?
Zenaida Moya,
"Clearly not Jules. First of all we know, because I spoke to a lot of the SEL workers over the weekend while we were working and they told us they were forced to attend the morning's nomination for the PUP. Some even told me that they have been informed that they are to appear in commercials and if they don't, their jobs will be in jeopardy. So we know that a lot of these people are forced to go out there and a number of them are being paid and I can't knock anybody who has been paid to come out there but what I can tell you is the supporters that are here with the UDP, and that came out with us, none of them were paid."
Jules Vasquez,
You say PUP is paying people, are you concerned that on election day also, if you say they are being paid, they'll also be able to pay for support on that day and are you concerned overall that they will outmuscle you financially and outdo you because of that?
Zenaida Moya,
"Those people will, I foresee, be a minority. You can't pay everybody. Not everybody is up for sale."
Jules Vasquez,
The PUP outsized you all and in politics size does matter.
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
"Our crowd together is blood, sweat, and tears. Honestly, not a penny was put into that."
Jules Vasquez,
So you all are saying you have the moral superiorly but elections are decided by numbers not morality.
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
"Elections are decided on elections day and I have seen better jankunu dance on bigger stage than this in Belize. If the UDP was in possession of that kind of vulgar wealth, that kind of dishonest wealth, and we wanted to generate that kind of crowd, we would have been able to do that but that is taking advantage of an impoverished people and we are here to protect the impoverished, not to take advantage of them."
That's the UDP line, moral superiority, and certainly no name in the UDP is as called upon for its morality as the Esquivel title. Today, past leader Manuel Esquivel nominated his daughter who is making her second run at the city council.
Jules Vasquez,
How does it feel to be entering the family business, so to speak?
Laura Esquivel, UDP Candidate
"Well I wouldn't want to call it a family business but I am very proud to be a part of the UDP and I am proud of the change that's going to happen
in Belize City."
Jules Vasquez,
How does it feel to see your daughter entering the same thing that you walked away from?
Rt. Hon. Manuel Esquivel, Former Prime Minister
"Well she is a grown woman and she has her own mind, she makes up her mind, and I think she has an awful to contribute to this nation, besides just the city."
One man who almost didn't get a chance to serve even the city was Mark King. When he went to be nominated it turned up that he is not registered in the city - he is registered in Belize Rural Central. A major gaffe and one that, it seemed for a while, would prevent him from being a candidate.
Stuart Leslie, Chief Elections Officer
"Never a dull moment Jules. Basically Mr. King is registered in the Belize Rural Central Division and so he did not appear on our list for Belize City. In the towns and in Belmopan City the law is very clear that you have to reside, for example in Belmopan in Belmopan City, or in the towns that you want to run in. For Belize City the law states that you have to reside in Belize, it didn't clearly say Belize City. So in chapter 85 of the substantive laws of Belize, and the Belize City Council Act, we had to go into the law and we sat the Secretary General of the UDP, the candidate, and some others and then we checked with our legal people in Belmopan and we had an interpretation and so it's a matter we settled very quickly but again there was a little excitement there."
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"The only requirement is that you be domiciled and that you would have ordinarily resided in the country of Belize for a year."
Jules Vasquez,
Certainly you must have strong words for candidate.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"Absolutely. I don't how that could have happened but I don't want to make too much of it, all is well that ends well."
Jules Vasquez,
All is well that ends well but it hasn't ended because obviously there will be some political backlash because while the letter of the law allows him to reside in the country of Belize, the spirit is that you want to serve the city you must live in the city.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"But he does live in the city and he has lived in the city for I think four years. It is just that he didn't secure a transfer from his previous address to his city address but there is no question that he has lived here for almost four years."
Jules Vasquez,
Is this indicative of grave indiscipline on behalf of the UDP?
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"Not at all. Mistakes happen and this may have been a mistake."
A near fatal mistake that the group recovered form today intact, and the party is convinced that it can claim victory on March first.
Rt. Hon. Manuel Esquivel,
"There is only one crowd that maters and that's the crowd that turns out on March 1st."
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"We are absolutely confident of not just a victory but of a massive victory here in Belize City and that's what in the end will be the only thing that matters."
We'll have more from the UDP in our next segment as the party's mayoral candidate in Dangriga Frank "Pawpa" Mena becomes the first candidate in Belize's electoral history to be nominated from his hospital bed.
