Yesterday, the Prime Minister banged the political gong when he declared February 7th as the date for general elections. For the time being, or at least until a manifesto is launched, the PUP appears to be running on the promise of an elected Senate, so today the UDP got a big leg up in the race for who can promise more and do so more convincingly. Not having the incumbent's burden of a wary and twice-shy electorate, the UDP leader outlined an appetizing buffet of promises at his party's press conference today. 7NEWS was there.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
UDP supporters and loyalists crowded into two rooms at the Radission Fort George to show support for the thirty one candidates sitting up front. There they would hear their party launch what was called a sprint to victory.
Hon. Dean Barrow, UDP Leader
"Everywhere you go in streets, neighborhood, villages, communities - the mood of the people, the anger of the people, the determination of the people is clear. The nation is overwhelmingly with us and overwhelmingly against the PUP."
And while Barrow has been criticized for riding that wave of anti-government
sentiment to hopefully win by default, today's event made it clear that his party hopes to win based on their own steam. A long list of promises or as they call them - pledges.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"What we have done is to set out in a straight forward, immediately intelligible fashion, 21 core pledges of the UDP. We present now this 21 gun salute to the Belizean people, the sound of which we know will reverberate right through to polling day."
And there it was in writing, promising everything from lower utilities rates to lower taxes to 5,000 houses, school subsidies, shares in an oil company, and so much more. Here is a few.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"We the UDP do hereby pledge to ease the cost of living by lowering electricity rates and telephone rates. The cost of producing power to BEL is going to be lower. We have also looked at the company's profit statement and we see that they have been making money. And in the context of all that has been happening, especially the fact that diesel rates will be lowered in this country, we are positive that an empowered Public Utilities Commission will see to it that BEL lowers it cost. We will also hold in reserve the possibility of at least lowering the GST on electricity bills and telephone rates.
Pledge Number 2: provide greater spending power to the Belizean people by reducing GST. We will extend the zero rating to more food, more medications,
and to medical services. We will also reduce fuel cost by replacing the current revenue replacement duty with a lower flat tax. We will continue this UDP policy of income tax reduction by eliminating in our term income tax of all those that are making less than $650 per week. Currently it is around $300. We will endow a new government housing program and build 1,000 quality affordable houses annually, countrywide.
Pledge Number 9: expand on the free tuition policy introduced by the UDP in 1993 by providing a $300 direct subsidy annually to needy first and second form students. We will charter a new program of skills training, access to capital, and social assistance for single mothers.
We want to offer shares in a national oil company to ordinary Belizeans so that the masses of the people can collect dividends and have a personal stake in the national petroleum wealth. To upgrade the KHMH to a full service, first rate health care facility and to upgrade the facilities at all regional hospitals to provide for the basic testing and care services.
Implement immediately the reform agenda in order to provide for recall mechanisms for elected officials. And if the PUP wants to know how that will work, tell them that is what they should have borrowed from their friend Venezuela; they have an excellent recall mechanism. Recall mechanism for elected officials, prosecution under an unjust law for officials who are living a lifestyle, an empowered senate, not an elected, an empowered senate controlled by the social partners and not by the government of the day, an airtight accountability of the executive to the auditor general, the contractor general and the ombudsman among others."
And it is on that vision of a reform Senate that Barrow will tell his party to campaign.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"We are saying to our people you either ignore the ballot, the referendum ballot on election day, or if you take the ballot and you vote, you vote no."
But Barrow insists his party will not be distracted or taken up with the issue of a senate referendum. He says they have to simply pound the pavement and let their presence be felt.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"To campaign like the devil, particularly on the ground. Every candidate needs to be, as I have been yesterday with respect to Faber's Road and the apartments. Every candidate needs to be going house to house."
Also included in the 21 pledges are a national school feeding programme, bringing back the CYDP, refurbishing all sugar roads, lower mortgage rates, upgrade the KHMH and establishing a national heroes day. The UDP says it will launch its manifesto in the next week; the PUP has promised to do so not less than 10 days before the election. Today's event lasted for just under two hours.
