He’s been the deputy leader of the PUP for the past 12 years and for 9 of those years he was the Deputy Prime Minister – but today John Briceno announced that he is resigning as deputy and withdrawing his candidacy for leadership of the party. His resignation and withdrawal come after a chaotic National Council meeting yesterday at which the party decided that it would not expand the pool of delegates. That was seen as a deathblow to the hopes of the reform candidates, Briceno and Espat – so to some extent his withdrawal was expected. But his resignation was not and speaking today from his campaign manager’s home in Belize City, Briceno told us why he stepped out.
John Briceno, Resigned
“I expressed a lot of concern that it seems that our party is still in denial as to what happened to us on the 7th of February, that people all across this country have been telling us that we need to change, that we need to do meaningful change and I don’t see that and it leaves with no other reason but to tender my resignation as the Deputy Party Leader of the PUP.”
Jules Vasquez,
Last night when we interviewed you, you said that you will always be a PUP, I believe those were more or less your words. What happened?
John Briceno,
“But that doesn’t change. I have never said that I am resigning from the PUP. I remain a member of this party because I truly believe in this party. But what is happening to us right now and I have been going all across this country, from Corozal to the Toledo District, and wherever I go I see faithful party supporters clamoring for change. They want to feel that they are part of this party and they feel that the party has been turned around, that the party has moved from the masses or the tens of thousands of us, to just a handful that the party is there to look after the interest of a few.”
Jules Vasquez,
So then why don’t you just run for leader and take over the party and invest it with the spirit of renewal you speak about?
John Briceno,
“Well that is exactly what we would like to do but obviously the status quo is not allowing that to happen.”
Jules Vasquez,
But it sounds like you are copping out, it sounds like you’re saying you can’t beat them, so I am walking away. Life is not fair.
John Briceno,
“It is not a matter of copping out, but it is a matter of deciding whether you want to be part of a process that could be fair and free of intimidation to one where I think the decision has already been made. It is one that you do not have a chance to fight to campaign in those circumstances. They have decided that they are going to have it their way no matter what and they are going to be bullying people, they are going to be calling people, they are going to do whatever it takes for them to have it their way. So then why participate in something that’s flawed, why participate in something that’s a farce.”
Jules Vasquez,
Will you now support the other candidate who, as far as I know, remains in the race Mark Espat?
John Briceno,
“Well I haven’t heard from him and until Mark decides whether he will run or not then I will make that decision.”
Jules Vasquez,
Shouldn’t it be automatic that if you all have the same issues, in fact you adopted his issues, shouldn’t then your support fall immediately behind his?
John Briceno,
“We don’t know what Mark is going to be doing and before you can decide anything and say anything, I think its first more important for me to hear from Mark.”
Jules Vasquez,
Are you prepared to continue to co-exist in a party led by Francis Fonseca?
John Briceno,
“As I said, my commitment is to the PUP.”
Jules Vasquez,
But what is the PUP, what does that even mean anymore?
John Briceno,
“The PUP is the thousands of people across this country that truly believe in the principles of the PUP, to serve people, the issues of social justice, to help those that need the most help. The people were upset with us in many of the policy decisions that we did over the ten years. We did a lot of work, a lot was done for the Belizean people, but there were some major policy decisions that were made that people felt were not in their interest and they felt that we have lost sight as to what is our true purpose once we were in government. And obviously, they came out in large numbers on the 7th of February and told us that in no uncertain terms. And if we want to get back the support of the people, the confidence of the people, then we need to change.”
Jules Vasquez,
Is Francis Fonseca the leader who is able to do that or is he just another part of the delusion you referred to?
John Briceno,
“I think he would have to answer that.”
Jules Vasquez,
Your opinion.
John Briceno,
“I sincerely believe that I would have been the best person that truly unite this party and that is what I wanted to do.”
Jules Vasquez,
But you’re showing a Christmas that I can’t spend because you are walking away simply because you feel the scales are tipped against you.
John Briceno,
“Well because you need to choose your fights and as much as I want to lead this party, as much as I believe that I am the right person to lead this party, at this time the way the establishment has it, it is of no use because they are going to get their way and they have been showing it. They have been using Positive Vibes to attack the two other candidates, Mark Espat and myself, which is the party radio station and on TV on Channel 5 in the mornings. They have been using even the Belize Times, which again is the party newspaper.”
Jules Vasquez,
It is you and Mark Espat that I saw Godfrey Smith write about today in the Belize Times. Why would a party that wants to win elections do something so counter-intuitive?
John Briceno,
“I think they are the people that you should ask those questions and not myself. Everybody asks why is this party behaving in such fashion, why is it we’re tearing ourselves apart when more than ever we need to be united. There are going to be some very serious issues that we are going to be meeting when we go to the National Assembly. I am certain that the government is going to be coming and making a lot of revelations and I think more than ever we need to sit down as a party, to sit down as the Opposition to come up with strategy.”
Jules Vasquez,
Sir Godfrey Smith attacked you, a standing deputy of the party, and an elected representative of which there aren’t many in the PUP by calling you an intellectual lightweight, characterizing you as fickle, as undecided, as prone to being influenced. How would you respond to that?
John Briceno,
“Well I think my record can speak for itself. I am grateful to my father who gave me a good education but everything I have, I have worked for. I managed to start many successful businesses, I have done that on my own. I have won six elections in a row in Orange Walk, I am not sure that Godfrey can say that. The monies that I am told that have been spent on the 7th of February in Pickstock, I don’t I have spent that in my entire six elections, much less what he spent in one day.
But most importantly, what is important is the issue of character, the issue of making the right decision. Where was his intellect when they were making these flawed policy decisions. When I saw these policy decisions that were being made in Cabinet, when the leadership was trying to get us to agree, I felt it was wrong and I did what was right and step out from the Cabinet. I don’t think that Mr. Smith has done that.”
And for a historical perspective, it’s noteworthy that 12 years ago when Said Musa was running for leader, Briceno was the lynchpin in the north to neutralize then challenger Florencio Marin Sr. and ensure Musa’s ascendancy. And to clarify, Briceno, though he has resigned as deputy leader, he remains a member of the PUP. It’s important because were he to resign from the party or to be expelled, which is unlikely, the parliamentary issue of crossing the floor would be raised – and that could trigger a bye–election. But, again, that is not the case, not at this time.
In related news, Briceno’s close advisor and long time ally Eamon Courtenay has confirmed to us that he also resigned from his executive post as chair of the Policy and Reform Committee. As for his bid for party leader, Mark Espat told us that following the decision yesterday to keep the convention closed to additional delegates, he has gone into consultations with his supporters and will announce a decision after that is completed.
