Yesterday, the PUP presented its plan for infrastructure and rural development led by area rep and architect Julius Espat.
Espat spoke about the party's plans for infrastructure - emphasising that - if elected - the PUP will put an end to the schemes of public contracts for private enrichment.
But, in his past - before he entered politics - Espat himself has benefitted from public contracts. Yesterday we asked him about the design for the Border Terminals at Corozal and Benque Viejo and we also asked him about the Bliss Centre in which we had him listed as supervising architect back in 2003:
Jules Vasquez
"I believe you were the contractor on the Bliss Centre."
Hon. Julius Espat - PUP Representative
"No, I wasn't."
Jules Vasquez
"You were somehow involved."
Hon. Julius Espat
"I wasn't the designer and I wasn't the contractor. My participation was as a resident of Belize to identify - in fact the contract had already been given out - to see who were the…if the money was going what was the work that they were doing if they completed their work. I was just a representative of the government of Belize."
Jules Vasquez
"So, who took the responsibility when the roof started to leak one week after opening?"
Hon. Julius Espat
"The contractors did. The Mexican contractors."
Jules Vasquez
"So, it wasn't your fault?"
Hon. Julius Espat
"How will it be my fault and I didn't build it?"
Jules Vasquez
"Well, you're overseeing."
Hon. Julius Espat
"No, I didn't oversee. You had supervisors also, a separate company in Mexico was contracted to supervise too."
Jules Vasquez
"You got these contracts...."
Hon. Julius Espat
"No, no, no, I'll show you my portfolio for 25 years, government participation of work that I have done which is public, is like 2% of what I have done. 98% of my work is private sector, why don't you talk about my private sector work?"
Jules Vasquez
"What concerns me is that you are seeking to reject this patronage system, that's how politics work."
Hon. Julius Espat
"I'm not rejecting it Jules, I'm saying we have to minimize it, we have to try to find another way."
Jules Vasquez
"So, you accept that the PUP will have to reward its friends."
Hon. Julius Espat
"I am saying the nature of human being, is that you take care of your family and your friends, that's the nature but it has hurt us in Belize and we have to find a way to better it. Is there anything wrong with that?"
The perennially leaky Bliss Centre roof was most recently fixed in early 2020.
