Thank you very much for your very thoughtful and insightful response. Your analogy of the driver who keeps getting into accidents is well noted.

Indeed, even while there might be well-intentioned persons in both parties, the evidence of repeated scandal and corruption from one party to the other through each cycle of election shows the urgent need for deep reforms.

Political reform to tighten accountability and transparency systems, has been the persistent cry of the people that the parties have continued to ignore at their convenience. The pattern since independence has become for each party to “lay-wait” each other quietly while the one in power self-destructs, and the cycle is repeated. As you rightly pointed out, only the people can save the people.

Unfortunately, people have become so fanatically stuck to political parties that even when they see their own party doing wrong they fail to take strong stance to correct these. Even highly intelligent persons within one party or the other become blinded and complicit by their “PUP all the way” or “UDP all the way” convictions that they might have inherited from great grandparents, grandparents and parents, and fail to contribute to demanding highest levels of accountability from their parties. Disappointingly, they become part of the problem. In both parties, many remain in their meekness as sheep while certain lords become their shepherds, leading them along a path for his namesake, even while poverty and crime increases and educational attainment continue to be less than effective (as shown in IDB reports).

The lack of demands by party members for effective, transparent governance and commitment for reforms, does not serve our country well. If members of each party make demands for reforms, for integrity, accountability and transparency with a focus on national development rather than party interests the nation would be much better off.

There can still be hope that members of both parties, seeing the mess that has been caused, can strongly hold their party to higher standards and demand it. Political parties should no longer view Belize as their political turf to advance narrow interests for the benefit of party, family and friends. Rather each party must see themselves as servants of the people, to serve the interests of all Belizeans.

So far their silence (especially of the intellectuals in each party) has been loud and stunning, which might very well result in the perpetuation of the status quo. I believe that when political parties keep recycling their counterproductive habit of blaming, defensiveness and pointing fingers at the other party they neglect to opportunities for reform, if each party does not make deep reforms within itself, starting with the thought, “Hey, we are screwing up here. How do we fix this and publicly declare how the same situation will further be prevented?”

Thanks also for your invitation for me to consider political leadership. In my search for the just system for Belize, I, like many independent persons, have voted for both political parties as well as for third party candidates. Consistently, however, we the people have been disillusioned. It is still my belief that I could also contribute effectively in other ways as I have been doing through my work in education and development.

I also hope that mover Belizeans in the diaspora rise out of their comfort zones to become more connected and contribute where they can to a change process. If they still consider Belize their cherished country, they all need to find ways to raise their voices loudly against corruption, and other destructive forces that continue to forge Belize in a downward spiral in our governance system. They ought to contribute to initiatives that are independent of political parties to ensure accountability and transparency in governance or to nurture a fresh new leadership.

Thanks again, Wellington. I continue to wish you well. And “may all our endeavors tend to peace, social justice, liberty, national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety and useful knowledge.”

Mabuiga, Jerry

Jeremy A. Enriquez
Belize City, Belize
Email: [email protected]