One year ago tonight - the new PUP government was settling down after its first day in the Belmopan driver's seat - still heady from the historic victory, riding a wave of huge popular support.
But, that's one year ago, and, tonight, seems a long way off. Of course, not even the course of true love did ever run smooth, and governance much less so. In the basement of the bureaucracy, the levers of power are rusty worn, the lights are dim, and the "blu" cubes of change glow a lot less brightly.
And so it has been for the PUP, surviving, but not sailing - and perhaps, not much more could be expected in the midst of a pandemic.
And while we've been grading the ruling party's performance in key areas of deliverables - tonight we look at an intangible - but a key element of a working democracy. That's transparency and Jules Vasquez gave the PUP their first year report card:
You could say it was the best of times; it was the worst of times.
The PUP was elected with an almost unprecedented mandate and on this day one year ago, when John Briceno and his inner circle walked up the drive to Belize House, he seemed to almost levitate on a cloud of promise.
But, delivering on promises in the clutches of a pandemic and crosshairs of a fiscal crisis, his predecessor left him with only condolences for the empty coffers:
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"I grieve for my poor Belize and I certainly extend my sympathy from now to those who will have to deal with that particular problem."
And while PM Briceno may have walked into a gunfight with a butter knife - this veteran politician who had at least 10 press conferences in the 2020 run up to the general election - hasn't had single one in his first year in office, Maybe at first he was reluctant to take the tough questions:
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"As long as you all don't ask me nothing out of the way right now, because you all won't set me up right now. But tell me you all wouldn't ask me these questions."
But, in time, he took those hard questions and came back harder, as sharp as a stepping razor and as punchy as a pugilist:
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"That has been brought to me and then I approved it, let me finish please. What we are trying to do right now...."
And throughout this year, the PM has made himself available for many sit-down interviews upon request, even sitting with me for 90 uncut minutes. And, mostly, his ministers, have agreed to interviews on matters of public interest.
But, that is superficial, the real transparency and accountability has been totally absent. Scan the government websites, and you see just spin and spittle, administrative esoterica and ambience, nothing of useful value telling citizens how their money is spent, very little actual accountability.
Now, this is how governments have been run since the beginning of time - but we are in the 21st century, click and post, we don't have to wait for the government gazette to be printed.
The PUP's entire governance platform in their manifesto says "We will have good governance if we respect and believe fervently in the Rule of Law, Accountability, and Transparency"
Another section promises to "Monitor the conduct and performance of Government Ministers and all elected officials in public life to ensure their "honorable" exercise of duties and responsibilities," - who should monitor? Obviously the press and the public, but how, if we can't get a single report of government spending on anything….and perhaps it's because PM Briceno sees the government like a business - here's what he had to say about leaks:
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"It is wrong, it is actually under the regulations that public officers should not be releasing the information. Like, Jules, you wouldn't want your employee issue out - you get a contract and they bwoy I just got a big contract from BTL.."
Reporter
"That's a private company, you're managing public funds, the people's money."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"We are managing public funds, but there is a way how to do it. We are still managing a business."
A business maybe, but the public's business….And, this manifesto pledge kind of says it all, the PUP promised to "Implement a government procurement process that is transparent…All information will be placed on the Internet and made accessible to the public for their participation…making all information available to the public and in particular to the media. At all times the public will know what was purchased from whom and at what price." End quote.
Now, we understand campaigns are in poetry, governance in prose, and not all that is promised can be accomplished, but on this pledge, there's not even an effort at accountability, not a single contract award published or posted.
At this point this weary examiner puts down his pen, and doesn't know if he should laugh or cry. This is an F. A big one.
We expect the grades to get better next week when we continue with Land, Housing and Agriculture.
