When one is threatened by a superior force, one must always pay attention. Such has been the situation recently with respect to Belize and Guatemala, Guatemala being, of course, the superior and threatening force. The Belizean media system called Kremandala has, by and large, alerted the Belizean people to the realities of our situation with respect to Guatemala, and we have rejected the option of submission.
The recent indications are that the leadership of the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) has become much offended by the various comments and opinions coming out of Kremandala, and has advised its supporters that Kremandala is to be considered an enemy. At Kremandala, we have to pay attention to these political advisories coming out of the UDP camp, because the UDP in government represents a massively superior force to Kremandala.
The chances are that Kremandala would be able to fly beneath the UDP radar were it not for the fact that the Opposition People’s United Party (PUP) has fallen into a state of disarray almost. It being the case that the third parties are relatively small and parochial, the ruling UDP does not feel bothered by whatever electoral threats they, or the PUP, represent. So, the UDP has turned its attention to the annoying Kremandala.
It is a tricky thing sometimes for the major political parties to find the right balance between their oligarchical financiers and their roots masses supporters. In 2003, for instance, the then Opposition UDP could not galvanize Belizeans at the roots masses level, because the UDP leadership refused to get out of bed with Lord Michael Ashcroft, who owned the Belize telecommunications monopoly at that time and had the law firm of the UDP Leader on his payroll. Even though there were PUP financial scandals already available for the UDP to exploit, the UDP were unable to do so, and they were badly beaten in the March 2003 general election.
The results of the March 2012 general election, when the PUP came within 75 votes (two seats) of upsetting the incumbent UDP and forming the government, were very much against the political grain. From 2003 until now, the UDP have been beating the PUP convincingly in every single election – village, municipal or general. There are those who say that the 2012 general election was a specific aberration because there were targeted seats on which Lord Ashcroft quietly spent a lot of money in the last couple weeks of the campaign. In the absence of any other really plausible explanation for the PUP’s sudden surge in 2012, just months after they had changed Leaders twice in late 2011, we must take the Ashcroft possibility seriously.
As things stand, the Government of Belize owes Lord Ashcroft for the BTL company which the UDP Dean Barrow administration took away from him. The British billionaire wants three or four times the amount for his company than what the Barrow government has offered to pay him, so Lord Ashcroft has a financial interest in seeing the present government be replaced. Because the government can only be replaced in a general election, Lord Ashcroft, it is said, has declined to support the Opposition PUP in local elections. He is waiting for the real deal?
With the PUP pretty much devoid of campaign funds, Mr. Barrow has used Petrocaribe funds to devastating political effect. He spoke at the Darrell Bradley endorsement convention at Lopez Mateos Park earlier this month on achieving a “stranglehold” on political power for his UDP. It is said in Greek history that Alexander The Great sat down and cried when he had no more worlds to conquer. In the case of Mr. Barrow, seemingly with no more political challenges to trouble him, he has turned to Kremandala.
All things being equal when general elections are called here in a few months time, however, the billionaire’s yacht will return to the Belize City harbor for that campaign. And, that yacht will bring goodies for those who seek to deny Mr. Barrow the third term with which he is obsessed. In Belize, money has been known to transform pussycats into tigers. It is Lord Ashcroft, not Kremandala, to whom Mr. Barrow should be paying attention. This is our humble thesis. Lord Ashcroft will transform PUP pussycats into tigers.
The old people have a saying that “cow know weh weak fence deh.” There are some individuals who specialize in one-sided fights, where they have the advantage of size. This is what the Guatemalan claim to Belize is all about in the third millennium. Guatemala has a major size advantage over Belize. The UDP has a major size advantage over Kremandala. And, Lord Ashcroft has a size advantage over Prime Minister Barrow.
They say that in 1798, the invading Spanish armada had a major size advantage over the defending Belizean fleet. That is why they “are marching today and proudly sing.” The Baymen’s clan celebrate their resistance when the option was submission. We’re just saying. So let it be written, so let it be done.
Power to the people. Remember Danny Conorquie.