Are Belizeans Really Angry About Ministers’ Allowances or Something Else?
Public scrutiny of the Briceño administration has intensified over the past several months, both over ministers’ allowances and over what many call a “disconnect” from the reality of ordinary citizens.
Attorney and former Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley faced that question twice in an interview with News 5. Both times, he sidestepped a direct answer.
He argued that Belizeans are not angry about the money itself but are instead frustrated at a government they believe does “not care.”
“I don’t think in all the issues that we have as a country, that is an issue. I think if people were given the dignity that they are entitled to as of right, and if we had social programs that provided opportunities and scholarships, like there are a lot of things in this country that I think we really need to focus on,” he said.
Bradley added, “As long as you have a leader, where people just say, ‘Hey, you know what? That person, he is trying; he is working with me’; the people will respond. The people are responding in a way that’s overly critical of government because they realize that the government doesn’t care. They do not care.”
Bradley would not say whether the allowances should be cut. He argued that “it’s not about the stipends,” but it becomes a matter of discussion when circumstances unfolding at the government level feel like “a slap in your face.” He maintains that voters only focus on politicians’ pay when the government fails them.
“I think people are fed up and they look at those things because they see the injustice of it. But if you redress the situation and you provide for equal opportunity, I don’t think people will have an issue,” he said.
Bradley stopped short of calling the Briceño administration out of touch himself. Bradley said, “Recently I’ve heard several ministers of government come out and say this. So I don’t have to say.”