We note that the UDP also has a 21 year old female candidate. You'll hear form here later on in the news but first a word from the UDP's mayoral hopeful Orson Picart. He was flanked by councillor candidate and they are both former colleagues of ours in the media. So, we hit them with the hard questions. Here's the exchange:
Orson Picart, UDP Mayoral candidate
"My team and I are very elated. Its official now that we are the UDP Belize City 11 slate and we are ready to continue the work that we have been doing and consulting with the people of Belize City in order to convince them to cast their ballots for us on March 3rd, 2021."
Shane Williams, Councilor Candidate
"This is a proud moment for myself, this is a proud moment for my family and this is a proud moment for my community, so I'm coming all-out. It's not every day somebody from Kraal Road comes and get nominated to run for Belize City Council, so this is a big day for us."
Reporter
"Are you guys as proud and glowing brilliant red as you look, are you all a team of sacrificial lambs?"
Orson Picart, UDP Mayoral candidate
"There is no sacrificial lambs here. I can speak for myself and my councilor candidates, we wanted this opportunity to serve the people of Belize City and because we have been granted that opportunity and made official today, we will continue to consult with the people of Belize City and come March 3rd, we will deliver a victory for the United Democratic Party in Belize City."
Shane Williams, Councilor Candidate
"I believe in the community service that I intend to carry out. I believe in community projects, I believe in community sports and I believe individuals from neglected communities know what it is like, know what it is like when resources do not reach your community and I intend to put my best forward to ensure that the resources of Belize City reaches our community."
Reporter
"Real talk, at the same time, it won't reach it from if you all were to win. You know that central government in Belmopan would starve you all and you know that a previous UDP council has made a commitment for your subvention to go straight to the central bank to pay one of those bonds. So, I'm saying that you all would be starved if elected because the PUP in Belmopan can't help you and won't help you."
Shane Williams, Councillor Candidate
"The city council is still collecting trade license, it's still collecting property taxes. The long and short of it, the city council can sustain itself."
Reporter
"When UDP use to say motorcade, there would be great sound and fury, thunder and lightning, but then today you have an abortive motorcade and I'm not making too much out of it, these things happen, but I'm saying that is the rewind and come again motorcade, is that indicative of the fact that the UDP, once a muscular and tremendous political machine is trying to find its legs after that devastating blowout in November."
Orson Picart, UDP Mayoral candidate
"What happened was that I got ahead of myself, because I was so excited to actually reach here to get nominated and so I basically grab Andrew and Kelly Morgan and I say well lets go because I saw the cart already and so once we got in the cart, the cart ended up leaving, so I must humbly apologize to my colleagues for the rewind and come again, but nonetheless I can say that because of the covid protocols we couldn't have the big amount of showing that we wanted. We have to keep everybody safe."
As we told you, we'll have more from the UDP councillor candidates later on.
