Fonseca Calls for It, Barrow Calls It!
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Thursday, February 2, 2012 Capital Weekly Page 1 CapitalCapital FromFromFromWeekly Weekly thethethe HeartHeartHeart ofofof thethethe NationNationNation tototo thethethe SoulSoulSoul ofofof thethethe PeoplePeoplePeople No. 020 Thursday, February 2, 2012 Price: $1.00 “One Eye Water!” General and Municipal Elections Same Day Fonseca Calls for It, Barrow Calls It! Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition PUP Prime Minister Dean Barrow at Press Conference immediately has been calling for the elections to be called following his announcement of the General Elections date The PUP had been call- The Prime Minister entire nation. By that time, he House of Representatives this ing for it, and PM Barrow made the announcement in had already advised the Gov- coming Friday January 3, 2012 had been hinting at it. Well, a prepared statement to the ernor General to dissolve the and, and set the general elec- on Tuesday of this week, the tions for March 7, 2012. Nom- last day of January, the Prime ination day, he said, would Minister announced that the be on February 17, 2012. general elections will be on Following the an- the same day as the municipal nouncement, the PM held a elections which by law were al- press conference at the Biltmore ready fixed for March 7, 2012. Plaza where the hall was filled It’s as we Belizeans to capacity with supporters like to say, “One eye-wa- and well-wishers of the UDP. t e r.” The speculation is now (The entire state- over, and the only question ment by the Prime Minis- that remains is, who will do ter on his announcement the crying after the ballots of the general elections are counted on March 7. Up front, UDP Ministers and Area Reps ready for the battle ahead is reproduced on page 3) Page 2 Capital Weekly Thursday, February 2, 2012 From the Desk Careful What You Ask For ! Is the Opposition Ready for Elections? of the Chairman The Ballots will do the Talking The Govern- ment of Prime Minis- ter Dean Barrow had hit the ground running when it took office in 2008. Since then, it has steadily been im- plementing its agenda of national develop- ment with a pro-peo- ple focus, defending against all odds, the interest of the Nation Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition PUP Delroy Cuthkelvin and People of Belize. Still Calling for the Elections that have already been called Chairman, Editorial Board All that this ad- or some time down of standard-bearers, ministration needs ith now, the Op- it doesn’t appear the PUP is to do between now position PUP in much of a fighting form. the and the elections is F has been calling for the Perhaps, they know some- Wex- to gently remind Be- government to call the thing the rest of us don’t. pectations of early lizeans of the things elections (pardon our re- As to the UDP, there elections looming it has been doing, dundancy). Well, this week, is no doubt at all that the for some time now, for whom it has been their wish was granted as party’s machinery is in top PM Barrow announced to shape and all revved up. the chattering over doing them, and the airwaves, particu- the nation on Tuesday that To the PUP, we must against whom it has he had advised the Gov- say, be careful what you larly on the morning had to be fighting to ernor General to dissolve ask for; you might just talk-show circuit, has get them done. Less the National Assembly this get it. Indeed, you have! been on the increase words, more images, Friday and set the election for several weeks. as a picture is worth date for March 7, 2012. And the date hav- a thousand words. Everyone saw it Capital Weekly ing now been an- As to the band coming; or maybe we From the Heart of the Nation nounced, the chatter should say, almost every- To the Soul of the People of criminals who seek one, because it appears the has grown exponen- to return to power, the PUP Opposition which had Published By: tially over the past more they talk, and been calling so loudly for Roots & Rhythm Ltd. couple days, as would the more they show the elections was caught 15 Gibnut Street Belmopan have been expected. their faces, the more somewhat off-guard as There isn’t Belizeans are remind- the night following the Chairman: much, in our view, ed of the crimes they announcement they began Delroy Cuthkelvin airing a new ad calling for that can be achieved, committed against the elections to be called. Compositor: at this late hour, all of us, and against The question is: how William Cuthkelvin which hasn’t yet generations of Be- ready is the Opposition been achieved; and lizeans yet unborn. Telephone: for the early elections for 802-1284 too much talk could Enough said. which they keep calling almost be counter- Come Election and which has already Email: productive to those Day, the ballots been granted? Judging capitalweekly_bze @yahoo.com who engage in it. will do the talking! from the continuing lead- ership crisis and stepping Thursday, February 2, 2012 Capital Weekly Page 3 Statement by Prime Minister Dean Barrow on the Announcement of General Elections (Belmopan, Tuesday, January, 31, 2012) have been proud and grateful financial uncompetitiveness; to to lead the United Democratic lower interest rates and to establish Party Government since a national bank; to rationalize the FebruaryI of 2008. And we have sugar and citrus industries for accomplished much in this first immediate viability and longer- term. Acting always for the people term prosperity; and to realign and with the support of the people, existing ministries and create new our overall record is a stellar one. ones in order to maximize efficiency. Economic growth has been Ladies and Gentlemen, consistent and we have recorded you get the picture. We want gains every year but one. This has both to consolidate and to strike been despite the continuing global out in new directions. We are crisis, despite the vagaries of nature, confident that we have done well despite freak storms and hurricanes, and have deserved your trust. and despite the super bond. But as we prepare to We have given income tax change gears and accelerate speed, relief to all employees on fixed there is only one way to know for salaries. And we have given GST sure. And that is to come back to and import duty relief to every you the people for your approval. single consumer. We have, for the Accordingly, I have first time in our nation’s history, today advised His Excellency the chartered comprehensive pro-poor Governor General to dissolve the and pro- people programmes. National Assembly with effect from These have included this Friday, February 3. On that day, monthly cost-of-living allowances, a writ will be issued appointing the subsidized food baskets, and cash 17th of February as nomination Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow transfers to thousands of families. day, and fixing Wednesday, March We have awarded 300 dollar grants root causes of crime in Belize; policies, and some of them claim 7, 2012 as the date for the next to first and second year high school and has produced the gang to have you on their side. We reject general election. We will thus have students across the country; and truce and the signal reduction that and know they are wrong. both the municipal and general in the murder rate that we are But as proof we want a educational opportunities have been election on the same day. so thankfully witnessing now. clear reaffirmation now of the expanded in unprecedented ways. Now elections in this We have also enshrined mandate for us to continue and country are always hard-fought, We have built a record nationalism as a paramount expand our mission. We want you costly, and by their very nature number of new classrooms, given a feature of our Constitution and to arm us and support us so we record number of scholarships, and our political culture. We have can tell the world that there will divisive. Having the two in one we have excelled at creating second- given the people control of their be no turning back. That there will thus save the taxpayer money, chance, remedial, vocational, and essential utilities. And as a result, will be no compromise of our and mean a single, quick healing apprenticeship initiatives. everyone is now enjoying lower political and Constitutional gains. process. Whoever wins can then We have found resources electricity rates, lower water That we will forge unwaveringly get on straightaway with the to do new housing construction rates and lower telephone rates. ahead in our crusade to produce business of binding up wounds countrywide, and we have poured This, together with the development based on justice; and uniting our country; of millions into home repairs and governing in the best interest home improvement. In addition, “We want both to consolidate and to strike of all Belizeans; of continuing we have written off almost out in new directions. We are confident that we to meet the challenges of the fifteen thousand mortgages at have done well and have deserved your trust. But unfavourable international climate. the Ministry of Housing and the as we prepare to change gears and accelerate speed, Ladies and Gentlemen, My Social Security Board, allowing there is only one way to know for sure. And that is Fellow Belizeans: I remind all of us all those families burdened by to come back to you the people for your approval.” that we have an enviable record for repayment obligations to now peaceful elections.