Let the record speak for itself.

Which Party from its very inception has always championed the freedoms that the Belizean people enjoy? Adult suffrage, self-government, political independence. It was always the PUP in the vanguard of change. The UDP has historically been on the side of the status quo, for the privileged, for the elite in society. Their official policy in 1981 was “we are not ready for Independence. Delay for at least 10 years!” Just imagine. The UDP from their beginning was against freedom and liberation; the wrong side of history.

But now that with sovereignty and independence, Belize has experienced tremendous growth and development, they are rushing to join the bandwagon in proclaiming that they too “believe in Belize!”

The pattern is oh so familiar. The PUP faces the challenges of change. The UDP can only follow and try to initiate. They say they are a Party of change but all they do is tear down and destroy.

When in power they fire instead of hire. Victimization and retrenchment are the ugly stains on their body politic.

Yes. They know how to talk a good talk. They use the jargon of reform – “transparency and accountability”. But by their deeds we shall know them.

Are they not ashamed of their feeble and deceptive actions when they were last in Government to pass legislation for the Contractor General, the Ombudsman and the Integrity Commission and then to vote a 10.00 for these offices?

It took the incoming PUP Government to operationalize these oversight bodies by voting monies for them to function. And it is the PUP Government that further amended the law to give teeth to the role of the Integrity Commission so that the Leader of the Opposition and others in his Party will no longer be able to flout the law with impunity by not filing their statement of income and assets.

Again it was the PUP that put an end to the blatant interference in the Court system by the Executive and ensure the independence of the judges. Which is the Party that created a free media policy in Belize? The PUP again. Which is the Party that has been devolving power and authority to municipal councils and village councils? PUP again.

Who ensured that the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee is an Opposition member? Who provided area representatives, red and blue, with a monthly allowance (in addition to salary) to run their constituency offices? Always PUP.

Who introduced the Referendum Act? Who carried out over 70 political reform recommendations? It was the PUP Government who begun the direct elections of Mayors, weekly Cabinet briefings to the public, increased the minimum wage, ratified various ILO Conventions, passed the Trade Union Recognition Act, legislated a new Finance and Audit (Reform) Act – these are only some of the many reform measures and changes to create an open Government carried out by the Party of change – the People’s United Party.

Let’s hear what the UDP did by the way of reform when they were in Government for two terms. Let’s hear what the UDP Councils have done by way of reform. Promises, promises and broken promises.