100 days in office, 100 days of failure – that’s the PUP’s review of the UDP government’s first 100 days in office. As you can tell from the tone of that, the political honeymoon is over and according to PUP Leader John Briceno, it’s now open season on the UDP. And in an interview today, he told us that season begins with calling the opposition on its promise to lower the cost of living.
Hon. Johnny Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
“Even on the day of the inauguration of the new government on the steps of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister was very clear that they were going to bring down the price of electricity which, ironically on that very same day, BEL was already going to the PUC asking for a rate increase. Actually today we heard Mr. Barrow, the Prime Minister, talking quite eloquently on the matter but still back-pedalling, admitting that there is going to be an increase in electricity. We didn’t make those promises, they made those promises. They asked for 100 day honeymoon, we’ve given that to them and what has happened, everything is going up – the cost of food, the cost of living – the economy has slowed down. There’s an even bigger unemployment problem, crime continues to grow unabated, and the problems continue to increase in this country.”
Jules Vasquez,
Is it fair to say the UDP has failed to deliver when clearly global circumstances have conspired to create a soaring cost of living, soaring energy prices, and an imminent increase in electricity rates, it appears?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
“But that was nothing new. We knew that coming into the 7th of February. The Prime Minister is a very well read man, a worldly man. He knew what was happening around us but yet despite that knowledge, he came to the Belizean people, he was very clear, that he was going to make things happen no matter what. So we have to hold him accountable to the promise that he made to the electorate on February 7th.
The greatest failure in my mind of the government at this time is the issue of addressing the cost of living, especially when it comes to food. Belize is in a good position, we have that great opportunity ahead of us because we are one of the few countries in the region, Central America and the Caribbean, that grows its grains, its rice, its beans, its corn, its beef, its poultry – that we can grow our own food not only for ourselves but we could also export. This is creating an opportunity for us and unfortunately for the Belizean people, the government of Belize is not taking advantage of that and are not coming with a viable plan to make sure that we could take advantage of that, not only to feed our people at a lower cost but also to create economic opportunities for small farmers by exporting our products.
And obviously right now the Barrow government is lost they haven’t found their way. What they are basically doing is doing an easy thing, some of them cosmetic, working with the laws and the constitution but the real nitty gritty of working an economy, getting an economy to work, addressing the crime issue head on – these are the real issues that at the end of the day people will be measuring this government whether they will be successful or not.”
And while Briceno says the UDP government’s policies are in disarray – to a large extent, so are the PUP’s assets, namely the Belize Times, Independence Hall, and Positive Vibes media. Those are privately owned party organs and at the special convention in April, the party resolved to get them back. Briceno’s team has been negotiating that with the legal – but maybe not rightful owners – and he discussed the progress of that today.
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
“Well the party assets as we see them are the Belize Times, the party headquarters, and Positive Vibes radio and TV because they did have a television section, not to broadcast but the production unit. And yes we did pass a resolution in the special convention in Orange Walk in April, I think it was the 13th, whereby the convention accepted a resolution that we must do everything possible to get back these assets. We have been in negotiations with the owners of these party assets and we are very close to conclusion and at the end of the day we are going to have a financial settlement to be able to get back these assets. Once that is done, I have already informed the national executive as to the discussions that are taking place and we also believe that once this is done, we will ask all the party supporters across this country to help us in meeting our financial obligations.”
Jules Vasquez,
So how is it that you reach a stage where you all actually have to buy them back?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
“I will leave that for you to answer whenever you wish.”
Jules Vasquez,
Is it a state of affairs that you would prefer not to be the case?
Hon. Johnny Briceno,
“Of course not. If you were to ask all the party members, myself as the Deputy Party Leader since 1996, I was always under the impression that these assets belonged to the party. I remember many instances when there was fundraising and we were going to ask for donations to put up a radio station and the production side of the Positive Vibes and the headquarters and everything. I was always under the impression that the fundraising that was going to be done, was going to be used again for the party assets. So yes I am disappointed to find out that these party assets are not in the name of the PUP but I want to assure that whenever we have a final settlement on these assets, that these assets are going to be in the name of the People’s United Party. It will not be in the name of any individual, be it party leader or any supporter, financier, or who it is. It is going to be in the name of the PUP.”
In related news, Briceno also confirmed that Secretary General Henry Usher has left that post by what the party leader says is mutual agreement.
