The top leaders of the ruling party, it appears, met privately and decided to send the message to G-7 in an indirect manner. Our sources say that the leaders of the ruling faction who addressed the Central Party Council Wednesday evening all zeroed in on ?the media,? condemned ?the media? and informed the delegates that ?the media? were determined to destroy the party. What this means, in real terms, is that the PUP have declared war on ?the media?, and what such a declaration of war means is that PUP psychopaths will understand that they will be considered heroes if they can do damage to ?the media? – the declared enemies of the party.

The verbal technicality here is that there is a difference between the UDP Opposition and ?the media?. It is understood that media organs owned by the UDP, are hostile. There would have been no need to reiterate this. It would have been redundant. It is understood, moreover, that LOVE FM and FM 2000 are controlled by the PUP. So it would be unthinkable to declare war on those two. We are left with Channel 5, Channel 7, THE REPORTER, and Kremandala.

But both Channel 7 and THE REPORTER are considered UDP-friendly from creation, hence no need for rhetorical redundancy. Channel 5 is independent, but does not have a following. Pardon us at Kremandala if we think someone is declaring open season on ducks at Partridge.

In the last 15 years in Belize, there have been four physical attacks we know of on radio stations. Three of these attacks have been on KREM Radio (1990, 1992, 1998), and one took place in San Ignacio featuring two UDP Ministers ? Juan and Fernandez. No one was ever charged for any of the attacks on KREM. As far as we know, there was no police investigation of any of the attacks on KREM. When the ruling faction of the ruling party, therefore, declares war on ?the media?, we take warning.

Let us go over the past six months. We said at this newspaper that we have a problem with our public finances being handled like private bank accounts. This was in our editorial on Sunday, April 11, 2004. We subsequently discovered that the moneys at the Social Security Board were being used in exactly that manner. Our money was being mishandled. We pressed the issue. Seven Cabinet Ministers concluded in August that something needed to be done. If Kremandala?s criticism of SSB indiscretions amounts to wanting to destroy the PUP, then it means that the PUP believe they can handle our money any way they want, and we must say nothing. The rapist is now blaming the victim. The message to Kremandala is clear ? protect yourself at all times.

The way we have protected ourselves in the past 35 years is by going to the people. In countries like Belize, governments in power have a great deal of power. Partly as a result of their mishandling of our money, the present government is now going deeper into austerity mode, not only where the Capital II and Capital III budgets are concerned, but this week even where the recurrent expenditure items are concerned. Using the authority they received on March 5, 2003, the government has imposed and is imposing that austerity upon us, the people. Plus, it is for sure that GOB is desperate to raise taxes again. To do this, GOB must go to the same people to whom ?the media? have to appeal for protection.

We, the people, cannot change the government until 2008. So, we have been asking the government to change itself, adjust its philosophy and perspectives. We have been saying this since last year. We need the Opposition UDP to clean up its act and do its job. We knew it was only a matter of time before Kremandala was declared an enemy in circumstances where GOB, having infiltrated the UDP, held the Opposition in low esteem. So, we are a victim of self-fulfilling prophecy. Queen Street sent a message to Partridge. Partridge to Queen. We heard it loud and clear. Over and out.

Power to the people.