FEBRUARY 13, 2008

What’s Past is Prologue

We meet today to begin a new chapter.  We have to study the past to understand the present.  But to understand the future we have to learn the lessons of the past.  What’s Past is Prologue.  We have to move on.

Yes, this is a time of sober reflection and self-examination.  Not a post-mortem.  The body is not dead.  We suffered a terrible defeat at the polls.  But over 40% of the electorate kept the faith in the PUP and another 25% did not vote.  So all is not lost.  You win some.  You lose some.  And throughout its history, our party has demonstrated that we know how to win and we know how to bounce back.

We need to Review, Rectify and Re-energize.  I propose to appoint a team divorced from the heat of battle, with no axe to grind, who will tell it like it is.  They will consult right across the country, do a detailed analysis and report on the state of the Peoples’ United Party.

This team will be headed by Dr. Joseph Iyo a lecturer at UB and they will be asked to present this report within 60 days.

There can be no doubt that our party in Government faced many serious challenges particularly in our second term (2003 – 2008).

There can also be doubt that over the past 10 years we did many great things together to move Belize forward and to make life better for the Belizean people.  The fundamentals of the economy are much stronger today than they were in 1998.

The nation’s infrastructure – roads, bridges, housing, electricity, water, telecommunications have been significantly expanded and modernized.

Educational and Cultural facilities and programs have seen dramatic advancement.  Affordable quality health care for the people is more available than eve before.  And I could go on.  The point is that Belize today is far more prosperous, far more progressive, far more democratic and far better positioned to face the challenges of tomorrow than how we found it in 1998.

Ironically, we were able to meet all the challenges of the force of nature (hurricanes, storms, floods) but when we came up against the force for change we were found wanting.

The desire for change is a very powerful emotion especially among a young electorate who have no idea of the way things were in the past decades and who are living a revolution of skyrocketing expectations.

I think too as a party in Government we became complacent and at times intolerant.  There was a growing disconnect between Belmopan and the people out there. 

The constant battering and the charges of corruption took hold – because Belize like so many other countries in the world as a society had become more corrupt.  We are living in an era of greed and selfishness – unbridled capitalism and neo-liberalism.  The media was hostile to us and they magnified every perceived policy error into scandals by their relentless negative attacks.

In the campaign itself, our public relations and political ads were far superior to theirs – brilliant in fact.

We were able to energize our base.  The crowds came.  We had momentum going in.  But the support was fragile and vulnerable to the election day blandishments by an opposition who had mastered the sordid business of buying votes.

There is the feeling that we went off track.  That the cause – what we were fighting for became blurred.  The vision, the goal, the mission to serve the people and to make life better for all was distorted because we were not moving together as a party.  Unity or the lack thereof was a major issue.

Which brings me to how I see things moving forward.

The time has come for this great party to renew itself.  This renewal must begin at the top.  I will be stepping down as party leader.  A new generation must now step up to the plate.  I do so in the full confidence that we have the most talented group of younger politicians in Belize who are ready and able to take up the mantle of leadership.

I would only hope that whoever the party chooses as its new leader will be filled with the spirit and soul of the PUP at the core of his being – someone who is imbued with the philosophy and political creed of the party: To continue the peaceful constructive Belizean revolution to bring to all Belizeans a better life and a just share in the national wealth.

I am stepping down as leader but I am not stepping out.  I love this party and I will continue to fight for what I believe in, side by side with the new Leadership in rebuilding the PUP to form the next Government of Belize.

Time is of the essence.  We have elections to contest in 1 year – March 2009.  I should also mention that the National Campaign Manager has informed me that he will be stepping down. 

So, the Party is in transition.  I propose that nominations for Party Leader be sent to the Secretariat by Friday, February 22nd and that a Special Convention to elect the Party Leader be held on Sunday, 30th March at a neutral location.

Today is a new day.  Life goes on.  We are the Party of hope.  The PUP will be back.