UDP Chair To NTUCB: “No Time for Splitting Hairs”  

Political tensions flared this week following a protest outside the Social Security Board, and now sharp words are being exchanged. The United Democratic Party is firing back after the National Trade Union Congress accused party supporters of aggressive behavior during Wednesday’s demonstration, claims the UDP firmly rejects. Chairlady Sheena Pitts says there was no coordination with the unions and insists the party acted independently, while stressing that the real focus should remain on the proposed BTL purchase of Speednet, a deal she calls a national issue. Here’s Pitts responding to the criticism from union leaders.

 

Sheena Pitts, Chairman, United Democratic Party

“This idea that the UDP as an independent entity is meeting of the minds with the union, I don’t know that has happened. And so if the union chooses to operate in a particular kind of way, it is their prerogative to do that. But certainly when it comes to the United Democratic Party, we are ensuring that we do exactly as we were mandated to do and that’s what we did. So I can’t, I really can’t speak to that. I know nothing of that. And if the union decide, the unions decide that they want to protest and stay far across the street somewhere else, they’re free to do that. It’s great when we’re all together, shoulder to shoulder fighting together the same issue ’cause it’s a common cause. This is for all Belizean, for me to entertain the splitting of the hairs that way, I don’t know that is where I am because this BTL-Smart issue is a national issue. And what is concerning is not about what I am saying or what the President of the BNTU is saying.  What is concerning is that at this point where we are, we still have a Prime Minister who, in his criminal organization, in his gang by the police department, gone and form another small gang in the form of the northern caucus, da the northern caucus gang -and they politicized this deal. Weh I noh hear da anybody the focus on the fact that the public has sound the alarm against this deal, and they the move like juggernaut through a wall. That is what should be, remain in focus.”

 

Pitts says the UDP acted on its own during Wednesday’s protest and maintains that, despite the criticism, the real issue for Belizeans should remain the proposed BTL‑Speednet deal, which she calls a national concern.