If party hardliners were in complete control of the PUP, then attacks on this newspaper and its publisher would have been the order of the day, or week. By definition, a party hardliner sees the party as everything, as more important that the nation. This is a skewed way of looking at things, but political leaders always have to pay keen attention to their hardliners, because when push comes to shove, it is your hardliners who will stand for you. Politics is dangerous business. It is not a stroll in the park. Leaders need their hardliners.

One of the differences between the PUP and the UDP, is that while the PUP is well known for their hardliners, it is very seldom that such hardliners will appear, to the general public, as if they are in control of the party. This is not the case with the UDP. Because the UDP rely too much on their noisy hardliners, sometimes the PUP can use that excess against the UDP, and suggest to non-partisan Belizeans that the UDP is out of control.

Even as moderate a criticism of the UDP as this, will provoke the knee jerk from their hardliners. What this accomplishes politically, the knee jerk, we mean, it is hard to say. But we have decided to respond to UDP hypersensitivity by trying to reduce our editorial comments on the Opposition party. The problem is, nevertheless, that often you have to look at the ruling party in relation to the Opposition one, because these are really the only two parliamentary choices the people of Belize have.

We think the present crisis is the most serious which has faced the PUP since 1998. The UDP hardliners are in full cry, but the party appears still disappointed by their demonstration performance in February of this year. A different leadership would have been marching in the streets from last week. We make the point to underline the fact that the ruling party is vulnerable, and because of this there is August tension in Belize. There is an unease.

Because the PUP remain confident, however, and because they are not really being hard pressed by the UDP, they felt they could afford to let this newspaper?s editorial slide. To tell the truth, we are relieved that they chose their mature approach. It is no joke trying to defend yourself against a whole government. Indictment of the government is the job of the UDP. Among their elected House representatives and their Senators, the UDP receive more than a million dollars in salaries and perks annually. They are paid these moneys in order to oppose the government.

In the reckless past, this newspaper has taken on governments of Belize, both PUP and UDP. For the past several months, we have been saying that the UDP need to get themselves in shape to do their job. Now indeed, their job is right in front of them, staring them in the face, and still their hardliners are distracted by this newspaper. What a contradictory model UDP hardliners have constructed for the party! If Partridge Street is so light and insignificant and unsuccessful, why pay us so much attention? Your problem is on Queen Street, right across the river. Or is it that you are a cow which knows where the weak fence is?

From 1969 to 1972, UBAD did a job which benefited the UDP greatly. From 1981 to 1984, Amandala did a job which benefited the UDP greatly. None of the UDP leaders has ever found it within himself to acknowledge the debt. They need to understand that people are more educated than ever in Belize. The UDP cannot expect people to do their job for them. It is they who are being paid.

If you say that we are letting the PUP off the hook, let us say, for argument?s sake, that you are right. Our response to that would simply be: you have been letting the UDP off the hook. Check the stats.