UDP Seeks Crowd Power Against Briceño Administration  

The UDP is taking its corruption claims against the Briceño administration to the streets on Friday, with a protest planned in Belize City. But the big question is whether the opposition can draw the kind of crowd that forces government to pay attention. A strong turnout could send a political message. A weak one could say just as much. Today, we caught up with Public Service Union President Dean Flowers and asked whether the P.S.U. will stand with the U.D.P. in Friday’s demonstration.

 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“In terms of the planned protest for tomorrow, I think it is in the best interest of every citizen in this country to support any rally that is against corruption. So, I want to call on the Belizean people, public officers who can apply for the day, who can get a day off, you are not going there to support the UDP, because the UDP has proven that under their former leader and administration they were equally as corrupt and equally as dismissive. The laws that govern the fiscal and financial responsibilities of this country were equally guilty. However, they are not under new leadership, and they are suggesting that in the best interest of this country they want to do things better. As a society, as a union, we will be coming up with strategies and ways to enter into social contracts, with the government, with the opposition, with social partners, how we can hood their feet to the fire. And so I intend to support the anti-corruption rally, because as a citizen of this country, my children and unborn grandchildren already owe tens of thousand and hundreds of thousands of dollars that they have no say in the borrowing by successive administration. So, I encourage public officers and the general public, be counted in an anti-corruption rally.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: