In their two terms in office (1984 – 1989) and (1993 – 1998) they taxed the people mercilessly even though they had promised to reduce taxes.

It was the PUP that had to abolish the UDP border tax, the 15% killa VAT and the 5% tax on your savings. They promised “free education” and “free land”. Yet, parents had to pay more to send their children to school and many more children were dropping out. “Free land” was a cruel joke under the UDP except for the free land they gave themselves at the foot of the Bel-China Bridge, not to mention the hundreds of parcels they gave to their relatives and cronies. The Caribbean Shores area and the Mountain Pine Ridge reserves were shared up among their special friends while genuine farmers and home builders were deprived. Yes, we know what they did. We don’t have to imagine what they would do.

They talk about honesty and integrity in public life. Yet none of the elected UDP representatives has ever filed their declaration of income and assets as required under the Integrity in Public Life Act.

That is why the PUP Government has amended the law to provide serious penalties for failure to declare or for filing false declarations. How can they talk about corruption with sullied candidates like Salvador Fernandez and Gaspar Vega?

The simple truth is that with all its shortcomings and financial difficulties, the PUP in Government was able to correct its errors, confront its challenges, rescue the economy from the verge of collapse in 1998, keep the Belizean dollar strong, restructure the foreign debt and carry out substantial fiscal and political reform.

Today the economy is on the rebound. Tourism, Agriculture and the Oil Industry are showing tremendous growth with the potential for extraordinary developmental prospects.

And what is the alternative? You don’t have to imagine, for you know them. Fancy talk, glitter…no substance, copy cats, hypocritical posturing, incompetent candidates. They say it is their turn. But they are not ready to govern. They are good at threatening, bullying, firing – dangerous for Belize.