There are certainly major differences in style and character between the two major political parties, the only two that have held the reins of government in Belize; and while each would be at pains to declare their differences from the other, experience has taught the Belizean electorate that there are some similarities, enough for them to have popularized the expression, PUDP, when frustrated with the actions or behavior of government, after they have replaced one for the other. While in government both parties have at times felt the wrath of the Belizean voters, who dealt landslide victories to the opposition UDP in 1984 (21-7), PUP in 1998 (26-3), UDP in 2008 (25-6), and PUP in 2020 (26-5). The only 3-peat since independence has been the UDP in the 2008 – 2020 span, but that was an anomaly, where there were two snap elections, so that the UDP only served 12 years in office before being savagely booted out. So, why is it that, in the normal course of things, one would still not count out a possible change of government in 2030, even though the PUP was immensely popular up to just a couple months ago on March 12, and the UDP is still in disarray? We would suggest that it has something to do with our system of government in Belize, which tends to lead the incumbents to orchestrate their own undoing after a long time in office. So, all it takes is for the Opposition to get their house in order where leadership is concerned, and suddenly there could be a serious race in the next general elections.  Not that the PUP couldn’t win again. But a repeat landslide is highly unlikely.

The Rt. Hon. George Price led Belize to independence in 1981, but the real decolonization of the Belizean people was not addressed in earnest. Despite all the celebrations and euphoria during the ceremonies and events marking this great day in our nation’s history, not much changed in the way our leaders dealt with matters of national importance in terms of their reaching out and consulting the feelings of the Belizean people. Not that they could expect a fountain of wisdom to guide them in their actions, but a sharing and enlightening of the people about important decisions on a national level could better build confidence and understanding of the people about their national affairs, so that our leaders would be more attuned to the vision and will of the people when engaging in multi-million dollar spending initiatives or granting huge concessions to foreign investors.

But all that may have been considered too cumbersome for newly elected leaders, who saw their jobs as to lead, in a paternal fashion, the uneducated and fickle masses. The prevailing attitude of leaders from both parties has been that there will always be some people grumbling, and if they bother to discuss everything with them, they would not be able to get much done.  UDP P.M. Esquivel has been quoted as favoring the “strong government” approach to pushing forward with the work of government, and let the people see the results later, to approve or disapprove. While, the PUP’s Said Musa as P.M. expressed the same approach differently, saying, in effect, that whatever leaders do, there will always be some complainers, but it would all “blow over like wahn lee breeze”.

Indeed, this outlook has led leaderships of both parties to get much done, but inevitably they tend to drift out of touch with some of the core feelings of the electorate, and have thus been dealt fiercely with the “rod of correction” at election time, where more close and meaningful consultation with the people might have avoided that backlash.

It is not that Belizeans expect our leaders to come crying to the people every time they have a big crisis at hand. But most of all, the voters would like to be reminded that they are the power, that’s what “power to the people” means; and, unlike a child who must “meekly wait and murmur not” (as our friend Godwin Hulse liked to say), the people can understand and appreciate when we, our nation is in a tight spot. And together we can figure a way how to get out of it.

In 1998, the Esquivel government paid the heavy price at the polls when they did not come to the Belizean people and seek their guidance in a budget crisis before embarking on a massive retrenchment exercise that affected many thousands of people, as many families lost the earnings of their breadwinner.

Belizeans would like to see some humility from our leaders in times of crisis. After all, we should be in this together, in an independent country. We’re no longer a colony, where as “subjects” we had no say in what the colonial master was bent on doing. Tell us what the big trouble is, and the people, as the teachers and public servants did in July 2020, will join hands and see our government through troubled waters. True Independence should mean an enlightened and empowered people, who respect and treasure the authority they have bestowed upon leaders to carry out the business of the nation on their behalf.                     

But if we take the paternalistic, condescending or dictatorial approach, that’s a no-no.

All seemed to be going well; success upon success with this PUP administration going into its second term; and Belizean voters were staying “pahn track”. There were some gripes from the retired public officers who have been agitating for the winding up of their Trust so they can receive sorely needed cash benefits before they pass away. But there was a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) US$125M grant under the Biden U.S. that would come in handy in the fields of education and energy security; and there are innovative ways to incorporate related agencies that needed some assistance. Things were looking bright, except that inflation was again a concern with the new U.S. president’s volatile behavior.

When the MCC $ fell through, it had to have had a major impact on things. But, our mighty P.M. brushed it off; we have everything under control, no problem, was his attitude; when he could have come to the people and explained the major setback in our plans, and how it will affect programs, and what we will need to do differently to get through the turbulent seas ahead, together.

But, no. Don’t worry; we got this, was how our leadership behaved. And, bam! Someone leaked that the government CEOs had come up big.   

The PUDP problem is that they keep forgetting who are the real bosses in this democracy, where in the blink of an eye, power can diminish and take a trajectory down to rejection. Someone once said, “It’s the economy”; but it is more than that. It’s respect. Belizeans will understand and empathize, and willingly suffer when called upon. But, talking about CEOs, don’t tell the teachers, the public service workers, the hospital workers, to go “do the math”.  Where once the workers were only seeing “green”, now many of them are seeing red, as in anger, even as the red party itself is striving toward a “re-united” posture. Maybe this will blow over “like wahn lee breeze”; or maybe we could soon be looking at a resurrected Opposition and a genuine race up ahead in the next general elections.