The official Independence Day ceremonies in Belmopan may be the stuffiest event on the whole September Calendar - full of pomp and ceremony, and speeches.
But this year saw a little wrinkle when the embattled mayor of Belmopan stole the show from headliners John Briceno and Shyne Barrow. Jules Vasquez tells us how:
Mayor Sheran Palacio may not have had top billing at the official independence ceremonies in Belmopan - but when the day was done - her speech's frank assessment of inter council and inter party issues made it the most memorable of the day and - to our memory - it was also historic in having a municipal leader using a national platform to address such issues:
Sheran Palacio, Mayor Belmopan
"It is not in the current psyche of most Belizeans, both male and female that a Black Garifuna woman is nothing else except the object of charity that deserves our mercy and pity incapable of contributing to nation building."
And this Garifuna woman mayor - the only one in the country - made it clear that she's being actively undermined
Sheran Palacio, Mayor Belmopan
"One would think that with intelligent people in office and I'm referring to my own council, they would be ready to support development. For those of you who don't know, we had and still have the opportunity to invest in a 10 million dollar bond to help develop our nation's capital. Even after I agreed to the added conditions imposed by my council, they have refused to sign."
"In trying to undermine my leadership, let it be known that our people are looking and they deserve better."
And, as Palacio framed it - not only is she being undermined - she is under attack from all sides.
Sheran Palacio, Mayor Belmopan
"When you have plenty of enemies following you, bumper to bumper and praying for you to fail, you must cleverly sidestep their landmines and cause for victory, leaving a legacy. With only six months remaining for me to deliver this garden city, I want to reassure the People's United Party that I stand ready to deliver the city of Belmopan. once I'm given the opportunity."
Reports say she will not be given that opportunity - and Thursday's bold showing may have been her last stand. When the PM stepped to the mic after the leader of the Opposition - he did not seem impressed and made no differentiation between the two speeches that preceded his:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I need to start by apologizing on behalf of all Belizeans. We Belizeans are loving, respectful, warm people. So I apologize on that display that we saw a while ago."
And he also knocked Palacio's elbow a little later on in his speech
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"No less than 20 cents of every recurrent dollar in this new year's national budget will go to the education system. You could clap, Mayor. I was not referring to the leader, I was referring to you."
The two ended the day with this stiff embrace.
