For 9 years he was the Deputy Prime Minister but yesterday John Briceno resigned from that post. He resigned after the Prime Minister told him he was downgrading his Cabinet portfolio. So what does the man who's gone from number two to about number 20 on the power ladder now think of Prime Minister Musa? Today John Briceno told us that and more in an extended interview about his departure, the PM's decision making skills and his future in the PUP.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
Minister your first day without a Ministry in 9 years, or I should say John your first day without a Ministry in 9 years, how does it feel?
Hon. Johnny Briceno, Former Deputy Prime Minister
"Well as I've always said to everybody that I am John and that will never change. I've always come with the perspective that I am here for a time to serve and that I serve at the pleasure of the Prime Minister. So after nine years the Prime Minister came with different plans that I did not felt that I was ready to accept the challenges that he set in front of me and so I decided to step out from the Cabinet. But I am still an area representative and that's first and foremost in my mind."
Jules Vasquez,
You said that he gave you a challenge that you weren't prepared to accept but is it so bad to be Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Minister of National Development? Minister of Petroleum, I am told, was also offered to you later on in the day. Is that so bad, why were you unable to accept that?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"As I pointed out to the Prime Minister, I respectfully explained to him, that we are ten months probably into the next general elections and it is going to be a tough election for my party and we will be needing to put all our energies, all our attention, and all of our work in trying to get the party re-elected. By giving me a new challenge, I don't think I'll be able to be in the position to give my all, either to the campaign part of getting us re-elected or to managing such an important portfolio that he was offering me. So I felt that maybe at this time it is best to be able to step back, to respectfully decline his offer, and to go out and find a way how I can best serve the party."
Jules Vasquez,
Nobody resigns as Deputy Prime Minister. I should say it hasn't been done.
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"I just did."
Jules Vasquez,
It has to be something extremely, it has to be a great act of disrespect which would force someone into such an act. You said indeed that you did it voluntarily, you weren't prepared for the challenge, but raw emotions say that it is tough to walk away from being the number two man in a country.
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"You are saying those words. I am telling you that the Prime Minister did give me an offer. The Prime Minister did indicate that he wanted me to stay in his Cabinet."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you feel that the Prime Minister made a mistake in offering you a demotion at this time?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"What I would venture to say at this time is that I think that it was not the right decision and it is more because of a timing because we are so close to an election and I think that we need to focus on an election in uniting the party and we should have one objective. The objective of a party is to win an election and right now our objective is supposed to be to win and for the Prime Minister then to come and try to give me another challenge, I just felt that the timing right now was not correct and that is why I then respectfully declined."
Jules Vasquez,
But you will agree that no Minister is untouchable, the portfolio doesn't say Minister of John Briceno, that things change?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"I fully respect the Prime Minister's decision. I said I serve at his pleasure and he decides when I should be there and for what time and under portfolios I should be serving."
Jules Vasquez,
Was this demotion that the Prime Minister proposed to you, was it a retalliatory or punitive measure for the very clear and hard stance that you took on the Universal loan?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"I believe that I gave the Prime Minister the right advice. As the Deputy Prime Minister I believe that my job is to be able to advise the Prime Minister because sometimes you get clouded, your vision gets clouded, especially when you have made up your mind in seeing something in one direction and you get myopic. I felt that as the Deputy Prime Minister I need to advise him how I see things and I was telling him that I think he was getting the wrong advice over the Universal Health Services issue. Whether that is a retaliation on the part of the Prime Minister, well I think that would be ironic because he, at the end of the day, did listen to my advice."
Jules Vasquez,
What do you have to say to Servulo Baeza? Did you expect him to resign in solidarity with you, as did your long time friend and close ally Eamon Courtenay? We know that you have long looked out and sought after the well being, in a political sense, of Servulo Baeza,
particularly after G-7 when many felt that he could be very easily marginalized. You looked out for him and now he has not stood with you as did Eamon Courtenay.
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"Servulo Baeza has been my friend for many years and he continues to be my friend. I think that in times like this, I think each person needs to look at himself or herself and try to make the right decisions. Mr. Baeza may have his own decisions why he decided or felt that he should not resign in solidarity or not. We continue to maintain a close friendship."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you consider it a disrespect to have brought in, to have reanimated Florencio Marin, a man who resigned from the Cabinet in December of 1999. Do you consider that it was a disrespect to have brought him back to take your portfolio knowing that in the caucus of the north you are the leader and he is a former leader. Do you think it was disrespectful?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"I think the Prime Minister is the best person to answer that question. The Prime Minister has the constitutional right to invite anyone to his Cabinet."
Jules Vasquez,
In 1996 you dared to oppose Florencio Marin in the north when you offered yourself as Said Musa's deputy leader. Now that same Florencio Marin has been reanimated and the interpretation, I certainly interpret it, as a way to block you off
in the north. Do you think of this as a betrayal by the party leader who you risked so much in 1996 to support?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"We need to understand here that the Honorable Florencio Marin is a veteran politician who has served his constituency and served this country for over forty years is on his last days in public service. He has told me privately that he is looking forward to the day when he can just become a private citizen. It is just these last months that are left for him. Maybe it is something, a gesture of goodwill on the part of Said Musa, that has offered Florencio Marin his last goodbye to come in a Ministry that he served in, in different governments to come in as the Minister of Natural Resources."
Jules Vasquez,
But maybe more than an act of goodwill, it is a deliberate attempt to isolate you and undermine your power base in the north. Would you accept that?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"I think what is the most important thing is that ability to win the next elections in 2008 or whenever the Prime Minister decides to call it. The Honorable Marin is an experienced man, he has been there before and as I said before, now I am here to serve in whichever capacity I can."
Jules Vasquez,
What is next for you? The convention is on July 1st, the paper advertises that there are slots for three deputies. Will you offer yourself as a deputy and do you think you can win that?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"I am a PUP. My family for two generations have been serving PUP governments so that will never change. Whether I offer myself to continue as a deputy leader or not I think is not really important. What is important is that I am a PUP and that will never change."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you ever have hopes of someday leading the PUP?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"That is a question that I think time will answer. If you are to ask me if I think that I have, do I believe that I have the experience and the ability and wanting to serve the people, I will tell you yes I think that over the past nine years, or being the deputy leader since 1996, I have learnt tremendously. Do I believe I could take over this party at whenever the time comes, yes I believe that I do have the experience, I do have the ability, and I do have the urge in me, that ganas as we would say in Spanish, to serve my party."
Jules Vasquez,
Would you be prepared to challenge Said Musa as leader?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"Jules we have an election to win. The strength of our party is that we have always been united. I believe that on July the 1st we have to come out and unite as a party and the only way we can unite, the Prime Minister, the party leader, has already indicated that he is prepared to lead us into the elections. I believe that since he has expressed that desire, I think it is something that we need to respect. He has led us through many successful elections and we should never forget that."
Jules Vasquez,
What's next, what do you wake up on Wednesday morning June the 6th and do? That would normally be a clinic day but what do you wake up and do now?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"My son asked my wife what will she do with dad. On serious note, there is a lot of campaigning to do Jules. There is a lot of work ahead of us. As I said, I recognize it is going to be a tough elections and by me being freed from the burdens of managing a Ministry, it allows me to be able to be out in the field. My strength is campaigning, meeting people, talking to them, showing them the positive attributes of supporting a PUP."
Jules Vasquez,
It is not improbable that you'll meet a voter who says, 'man we aren't with Said Musa. We are with you and Said Musa after nine years of loyal service as a deputy he slapped you in your face and told you to take it or leave it. We as your supporters, we aren't with that.' It is not unreasonable for a voter to say they tried to shame you and we aren't with that. How would you respond?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
"I would tell them thank you for saying you are with me, so just remember that on election day and vote for me in Orange Walk Central."
And while Briceno says he will re-commit himself to campaign work in Orange Walk, fellow former minister Eamon Courtenay will be right behind him.
