COLA, The Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action had a very difficult year in 2011.
They spearheaded or joined up with a number of movements that, while topical, failed to garner popular support. We can recall the protest on behalf of the squatters on Chetumal Street, and the march for the Belizean Bus Association that had to be cancelled due to "miscommunication". And then in October, when the controversial ninth Amendment was taken to the House of Representatives, COLA promised to provide opposition to the bill in the form of numbers, but when it came time to perform, only the president appeared in Belmopan - abandoned by his own executive.
Now that the year is over, the organization is looking at rebuilding its public image with a new executive - or at least an old one with a new mandate.
All the executive posts are up for re-election this Saturday at the Annual General Membership Meeting.
7News spoke to two of the candidates who are hoping to be elected as the organization's president. They are Geovanni Brackett, who served as Vice-President last year, and the incumbent, Moses Sulph, who is looking to be returned to that post in this election.
We asked them about some of their failures, and their plan of action, should they be elected as President.
Here's what they had to say:
Moses Sulph
"If I am nominated and elected again then I am willing to serve again. I believe that under my leadership over the past year, COLA went to a household name, to an organization that it's clearly a credible one and to one that has stood up on all the national issues and tried to see how they can advocate on behalf of our Belizean people who are not able to speak out. So I believe that I have done a good job in trying to do my best. I have given my best; I've given 110%. I don't believe (I don't want to criticize) that anyone can basically say that I haven't done well with COLA or try to do well."
"I think that Belize needs activism; Belize needs organizations like COLA who can be a check and balance to any government to speak from a point of view - not from any political party -but from a point of view from the grassroots people or from the ordinary person who is suffering and doesn't have a voice. This is why I intend to hope to get nominated again and elected again because I believe that after we have managed to make COLA into a household name - which was one of our marketing strategies. Now people know that COLA is there, I think now we can move to another level whereby we can try and see how we can be an organization which entails members, so then we can have a huge amount of members so we can lobby on any issues."
"The AGM is Saturday 28th January at 2pm at the Bishop Sylvester Hall. All the executive posts are up for re-election and I believe that whosoever is elected, I believe, that will serve the best interest on the people."
Daniel Ortiz
"We have heard some sentiments that COLA has lost some of its might and credibility due to its less than successful advocacy last year. If you were to be elected as president, how would you work to increase the visibility and confidence in the people as an advocacy group for different causes and such?"
Geovanni Brackett
"One of the things is that opponents to COLA who dissent us, try to put that stigma that we are just a noise maker, an organization that rants rampant at various different issues. I want to address that, and I will address this re-strategizing how we take up issues - issues that we probably would just need to give out a release on and issues we would fight head-on collision whether it's a protest or other form of direct action."
"Secondly, I think we need to go back to some of the older members who are inactive and try to get them re-motivated and get their input. We need to overall look at the policies on how we have run COLA, look at our mistakes and see how we can bridge the gap."
Daniel Ortiz
"We want to know, do you feel that you would be a good leader for COLA in this year?"
Geovanni Brackett
"Humbly speaking, I believe that I would definitely make a good president. Humbly speaking, I believe that I have the characteristics; I don't have it all, but I believe more so though it's not about me, but I am looking even at the people around me and how they would assist me in leadership because I am not there to make unilateral decision for the organization. But I want to look at the strengths and weaknesses of all the people around me and put people into the capacity that they are best at and use that for the organization. I strongly believe that COLA is still a very strong organization. We have our weaknesses. Financially we are no way close to other organizations. We don't have an office. Those are the things that I want to address that when leaving after my tenure we have an office and we have some kind of funding; bring some "backative" to the organization."
The COLA AGM starts at 2 p.m. this Saturday at Bishop Sylvester Hall.
