The tradition in politics has been that manifesto launchings are semi-formal events: regularly convened at stuffy hotel meeting rooms with an air of propriety and political pomp. But last night the UDP launched its 2008 manifesto at a rally type event. It's a major departure from convention and when we got there, it became clear that they did it like that to show and flex muscle in a city where they hope to gain control of the majority of seats. Here's more from last night's event.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
A sizeable crowd gathered in front of the UDP headquarters near the Bel-China Bridge to hear and witness the UDP launch its manifesto. But if they were there for a show, that's what they didn't get. Sure Poots Flores did his thing, but mostly it was a night of policy presentation from this book, the 2008 manifesto - the centerpiece of the evening. Now, presenting policy in a rally type atmosphere is like reading scripture in a nightclub, but the UDP's four regional managers each did their parts dutifully.
Hon. Patrick Faber,
"To restore and maintain good governance we will give people the power to recall elected representatives and to impeach the Prime Minister. We will
pass an unjust enrichment act under which Ministers and elected officials can be prosecuted where they are seen to be enjoying visible wealth which their salaries and declared assets cannot justify. So if you see I start to drive a Mercedes Benz, if you see I get three or four big house, if you see I have bank accounts at Montevideo and Panama and all of these places then you know dah unu pay me that money and then I can be prosecuted. We will establish a three term limit for office for holders of the office of Prime Minister so nobody can turn rock stone in that office. And we will make it illegal for government to sign any kind of contracts that require the contracts to kept secret."
Eden Martinez,
"Under education our motto is very simple: better schools, better citizens, better Belize. We will endow a new government housing project to build one thousand homes annually."
Pablo Marin,
"We are committed to ensure a reversible of bad decisions that lead to a complete breakdown of our bus system. We will invest in the creation of a strong sustainable network of pool of buses routes to improve the productivity of our nation and the quality of life for our commuters. We the UDP are committed at ensuring that all Belizeans consumers receive the best possible service and rates from our major utility providers. With this in mind we will reduce the cost of electricity and telephone rates."
Hon. John Saldivar,
"The oil belongs to each and everyone of us and we deserve to receive
the benefits of the oil industry. We will therefore ensure that Belizeans get the full benefit of this industry by ensuring local participation, grassroots participation. We will reduce the price of gasoline. We are going to go back to the original way of taxing gasoline and we will put a flat tax on gasoline so that the price of gasoline is going to go down under the UDP."
It took just under an hour to make the presentations - and sure the crowd got restless and some even tuned out but - and this is the remarkable thing - the crowd continued to swell and remained energized. And in fact became even more so as the policy gave way to a political party. Even if the
song was about a decade old, the leaders put their stamp on things.
Gaspar Vega, UDP Deputy Leader
"I want to tell everybody here tonight and those listening and watching our television that this lil Spanish got wah big heart."
Hon. Dean Barrow, UDP Leader
"We in the UDP know as sure as the night follows the day that we will form the best government that this country has ever seen."
And after Barrow introduced his party's 31 candidates - with the event going on three hours - the crowd remained energized and massive, and even the party leader got in on the jumping around. Now the UDP hope that he can dance on the night of February 7th and that this feeling, as good as it was, is not as good as it gets.
The PUP will launch its manifesto next week in a more formal setting, we have been tentatively told that it will be at the Bliss Center in the daytime.
