A third champion joined the PUP and the UDP today, Wednesday, 9 January, announcing their entry in the upcoming General Elections on February 8. Vision Inspired by the People (VIP) introduced 10 candidates today at a press conference held at the Belize Institute of Management (BIM) Conference Room on Chancellor Avenue in Belize City. They are: Party Leader Paul Morgan (Belmopan), Deputy Party Leader Hubert Enriquez (Cayo South), Mateo Polanco (Stann Creek West), Seagull Joseph Martinez (Lake Independence), Gilroy Requena (Cayo Central), Marta Hendrikx (Cayo West), Erwin X (Port Loyola), Patrick Rogers (Collet), Quentin Mejia (Dangriga), and Danna Myers (Belize Rural Central).
The VIP, which originated in Belmopan, has been around a while now, having presented a full slate in the 2003 Belmopan City Council Elections. The party captured a respectable 20% of the vote in that election. With this encouragement, the VIP found the ganas to go countrywide, and ever since 2003 they have made it known that they will be there when the bell rings for control of the national treasury in 2008.
Last year the party produced their manifesto, which they say provides for the attainment of the five pillars of nationhood, which are: National Unity, a Culture of Productivity, a Family Life Environment, Social Justice, and Fair Representation in Governmental Affairs. The party manifesto, which could be considered a little left wing, also features promises for an elected Senate, a stronger referendum act, a recall mechanism, proxy voting for Belizeans living abroad, and proportional representation in the House of Representatives.
On the matter of the referendum on the elected Senate, Party Leader Morgan said at the press conference that the VIP would be voting yes, but with some conditions.
One of the VIP’s “holy grails,” ever since its inception, has been the matter of campaign financing. The VIP’s are adamant that honest government will not come to Belize until the sources of monies spent by political parties are made public. At the press conference on Wednesday party campaign manager, Bobby Lopez, unveiled the projected budget for their 2008 campaign. The VIP’s hope to raise and spend a modest $42, 250.00. The party intends to collect $15,000 from candidates’ contributions, $6,500 from pledges, and $23,750 from their supporters.
It has not been smooth sailing for the party since they ventured out on the national sea. Attempts to merge with other new parties on the block failed during last year, except for those with a Belize City based group called the Commoners. This marriage has produced a few candidates for the party. VIP Leader Paul Morgan says that although they failed at making a formal alliance with the four other known third parties in the country, they expect to strengthen their ties and together make history.
Belize has seen many independent and third party candidates contesting general elections, but never before has a third party fielded so many candidates. But, that piece of history may be short-lived. In the coming week we expect to hear from the National Belize Alliance (NBA), an amalgamation of 3 third parties, and the National Reform Party (NRP) which promised last year that their party had money to burn on the elections.