And while Dean Flowers has been leading the charge publicly - the PUP, in its party organ has also been attacking him and other union leaders. They are using the same ammunition against him that the UDP did some years ago: alleging that he came into the public service as a Gaspar Vega associate and that he benefitted from land compensation awards paid out by Vega's Ministry. Flowers laughed at the attacks today:
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"What do you have to say about this, both as an attack made in the PUP's party organ and about the facts of it. The facts allege in it that you are an independently wealthy man."
Dean Flowers, First Vice President, PSU
(Laughs) "Firstly I want to say that I have not seen the attack, because I don't buy nonsense, so I would never find myself reading a political party organ such as either the Guardian or Belize Times newspaper. I am very careful in terms what I put in my head, so I haven't seen it. But it seems to bring back the same accusation or the same attempt to tarnish my name that was employed by the UDP. The compensation that they speak of I believe is dated, I don't know. But I keep saying to people that within each ministry there is a file and I believe the public has the right under the freedom of information act to visit the lands department and see why myself like many other Belizeans had to be compensated by a corrupt administration, but as Oprah Winfrey said when they get low, we go high. So I won't go back and try to rehash the evils of the current administration. I will respond to this with grace. The UDP will not silent me, the PUP will not silent me, I will continue. I am even more embolden to continue at the helm of the public service union going forward, so I think these attacks is telling me it is time to leave for real, because these attacks is showing me that these people rather than dealing with the issues at hand they prefer to become petty and personal."
Later on we'll have more form Flowers as he discusses some shake-up today in the public service ranks of the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
