And while the Health Minister can't get the unions on-side for the Dr Manza matter, the Prime Minister's statement about the supposed limited talent pool in Belize is still reverberating across the meme-scape, which has not been kind.
So, we asked the PM yesterday - about whether laws should be enacted to outlaw nepotism.
That's the same thing we had asked his Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing, Julius Espat two days before. Espat said there should be such a law; the PM said it's not realistic because of…you guessed it….that limited pool of talent:
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Is it time for Belize to consider some form of an anti-nepotism law?"
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"I think we would want start off by saying that we just can't take everything what the bigger countries have done well and apply to a small economy like ours. Whilst in the United States they have about 325 million people. We have 400,000 people and so you have a small pool to choose from. I am choosing my words very carefully. Now what is more important that anybody that we put in those positions have to be: a) qualified and can make a difference in serving where they are and thirdly, to ensure that they are not enriching themselves nor their families and once we can do that then we are going to be fine."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Your minister for infrastructure and housing appearing last night on Uncut says that he supports such legislation."
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"I saw the blood fest last night."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"He says he supports such legislation."
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"And that's fine. I think he probably really does or you just throw it at him and so he says yes I will support, but if you take away the excitement and try to be rational, you can have some kind of legislation, yes. But it does not have to be as extreme as what we have in other countries, simply because we have a limited pool that we can access and once you do that then you start to cut out all of these people and then what you end up with is not necessarily the best persons that you would want to put in these positions."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But really sir, it's a limited pool of people who are willing to toe the party line above all else. It's a limited pool of people who are willing to put the PUP or the UDP first. That's where the real limit is. That's my experience. We are full of highly educated people who flee this country because there is no opportunity for them, because people in authority, the previous government and yourself refuse to put any confidence in them because they don't think in partial terms."
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"We have brought in a number of people that are not necessarily partisans in our boards, but at the same time we were elected under a PUP government, not as an independent. So it is obvious that we will find the best people within our party that can do the job. It does not mean that because you are PUP you are going to go in there and do as you wish because you are PUP."
