All 31 PUP candidates and their committees convened at Independence Hall in Belize City at 2:00 this afternoon. You could call it a post mortem – as the party gathered to discuss its worst defeat ever and devise a rebuilding strategy. But Said Musa won’t be the one leading them forward. After leaving the meeting he told us that he’s stepping down as leader.
Jules Vasquez,
Mr. Party leader you had a meeting today. I am told you announced your future plan, what are those?
Rt. Hon. Said Musa, PUP Leader
“That I will be stepping down as leader of the party and that I wanted the party to agree on the process forward. We have to go through nomination for who all are interested to be nominated and then a special convention will be held to elect the new party leader. As far as my plans go, I made it very clear that I love this party, the PUP, that I will continue to fight for what I believe in, the principles, policies, and programs of the PUP - especially the philosophy of the party, the creed, and that therefore although I am stepping down, I’m not stepping out. I will be here very much involved, working side by side with whoever becomes the new party leader and indeed with the whole leadership of the party.”
Jules Vasquez,
Are you concerned that there will be blood? Inevitably as any leaders is held, it certainly happened with your leadership convention that there was a lot of division in the party.
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
“Inevitably there will be some divisiveness. I don’t think it will be a blood-letting but it will be new blood coming forward to take over the party.”
Jules Vasquez,
Sir we have heard three names, Francis Fonseca, Mark Espat, John Briceno, and we have heard that the party favors the status quo which would be represented by Francis Fonseca. Is that an accurate characterization?
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
“I don’t know that that is accurate. The party hasn’t expressed its position yet. I certainly have not as the party leader I will not be endorsing anyone. There is no detachio in the PUP.”
Jules Vasquez,
But will the delegates from Fort George then?
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
“I can’t say. We will have to sit down and discuss that before.”
Jules Vasquez,
And as you transition into really non-political life how does it feel?
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
“It feels like a weight coming off my back, especially I won’t have you to be harassing me.”
After the meeting Musa walked back to his North Front Street Office. He said he is returning to private life. And the same goes for National Campaign Manager Ralph Fonseca who is stepping down from his executive post and, it is believed, will also be retiring from electoral politics.
So to clarify, Mr. Musa will finish his term as Fort George Representative, but will not run again, and his resignation as Party Leader is effective on Sunday March 30th. That’s when the special convention will be held. Those vying for the post have until next Friday to submit their names.
As was noted in the interview, the names we have heard are Francis Fonseca, John Briceno and Mark Espat. And the intrigues are already afoot. First,
we have solid reports which say that Godfrey Smith is managing the Francis Fonseca campaign for leader. Today at his Marine Parade law chambers, what is reported to us as a supermajority of the 31 candidates who were in the city for the meeting, went to hear his pitch for Fonseca. Our reports say that they all declared their support for that candidacy.
Notably absent from the meeting were Orange Walk candidates who are bound to Briceno and of course, Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde. Of course, that’s far from the end of it, the days leading up to leadership conventions are full of conspiracies and cabals – and in the shifting sands of political fortune and misfortune, allegiances often change, even up to the last minute.
The party leader made a few other announcements at today’s meeting: first, the PUP Senators will be defeated candidate Godfrey Smith, Dr. David Hoy, who served briefly in the last Senate and Magali Marin – sister of newly elected Florencio Marin Jr. Indications to us are that their appointments will not last long as the UDP hopes to shortly introduce legislation to create its version of an empowered Senate.
And finally, the party has commissioned its researcher of choice, Dr. Joe Iyo to compile a study examining why the PUP lost. Iyo has 60 days to come up with it. Fortunately more time than he had for his recent poll which predicted first, a PUP win, and second that Mark Espat and Michael Finnegan would be defeated. As it turned out, those candidates topped the polls for their parties, and the PUP suffered the worst defeat in its history.
